THE  JOURNALS 

OF 

MAJOR-GEN.  C  G.  GORDON,  C.  B. 

AT  KARTOUM. 


THE  JOURNALS  OF  MAJOR-GEN. 

C  G.  GORDON,   C.  B. 

AT  KARTOUM 


PRINTED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  MSS. 
INTRODUCTION  AND  NOTES 

BY 

A.  EGMONT  HAKE 

AUTHOR   OF    "  THE   STORY   OF   CHINESE   GORDON,"    ETC. 


WITH   PORTRAIT,  TWO  MAPS,  AND  THIRTY  ILLUSTRATIONS  AFTER 
SKETCHES  BY  GENERAL  GORDON 


BOSTON 
HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK:  II  EAST  SEVENTEENTH  STREET 
ISS5 


The  Riverside  Press,  Cambridge  : 
Electrotyped  and  printed  by  H.  0.  Houghton  &  Co. 


I O  ^^  '-t  o 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Editor's  Preface vii 

Introduction  by  the  Editor ix 

General  Gordon's  position  at  Kartoum.     By  Sir  Henry 

W.  Gordon,  K.  C.  B lii 

The   Mission  of  Colonel  Sir  Charles  Wilson,  R.  E.     By 

Sir  Henry  W.  Gordon,  K.  C.  B lix 

Description  of  the  Journal.     By  Sir  Henry  W.  Gordon, 

K.  C.  B Ixii 

Position  of  the  Steamers,  Dec.  14,  1884 Ixv 

Journal,  Book  I.  —  Sept.  10  to  Sept.  23,  1884  ...  1 
Journal,  Book  II. —  Sept.  23  to  Sept.  30,  1884  ...  75 
Journal,  Book  III.  —  Oct.  1  to  Oct.  12,  1884  ....  Ill 
Journal,  Book  IV.  —  Oct.  12  to  Oct.  20,  1884  ....  169 
Journal,  Book  V.  — Oct.  20  to  Nov.  5,  1884  .  .  .  .197 
Journal,  Book  VI.  —  Nov.  5  to  Dec.  14,  1884     .     .     .     .255 

Appendices  :  — 

Book  I. 

APPBXDIX 

A.  Letter   from   Abdel    Kader    Ibrahim    to    General 

Gordon,  and  General  Gordon's  reply      ....  369 
A^.     Letters  from  Abderrahhman  en  Najoomi  and  Ab- 
dullah  en   Noor   to   General   Gordon,    and    his 
reply 373 

B.  Letter  from  George  Calamantino  to  General  Gordon, 

and  his  reply 376 

D.  Letter  from  the  Ulema  of  Kartoum  to  the  Mahdi   .  377 

E.  Letter  from  Faki  Mustapha  to  Cassim  el  Mousse    .  384 
E^    Upon  the  Slave  Convention 387 

F.  Memorandum  upon  the  defeat  of  Hicks' s  army  .     .  388 

G.  Letter   from    General   Gordon   to   Ibrahim   Abdel 

Kader 389 

K.     Letter  from  Abdel  Kader  to  General  Gordon       .     .  390 
L.      Letters  from  Abderrahhman  and  Abdullah  en  Noor 

to  General  Gordon 392 

M.    Letter   from   General   Gordon    to    Sheikh   Abder- 
rahhman en  Najoomi,  with  his  X'eply      ....  390 


vi  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

APPENDIX  PAGE 

N.    Letters  from   Colouel   Stewart  and  M.  Herbin  to 

General  Gordon 399 

Book  IV. 

P.  Letter  from  Abou  Gugliz  to  General  Gordon  .  .  402 
Q.      Letters  from  Fakirs,  and  from  Faki  Mustapha,  to 

the  Commandant  of  Omdurman 402 

R.      Two  letters  from  Slatin  Bej^  to  General  Gordon       .  405 

S.       Letter  from  Slatin  Bey  to  the  Austrian  Consul  .     .  407 

The  Insurrection  and  the  False  Prophet,  1881-83  .  408 

Book  V. 

Q.      Letters  from  Saleh  Ibrahim  of  Galabat  and  Greek 

Consul  at  Adowa  to  General  Gordon  and  Greek 

Consul  at  Kartoum 446 

R.  Letter  from  Slatin  Bey  to  General  Gordon  .  ,  .  451 
T.      Letter   from   the   Mudir    of    Seuuaar   to   General 

Gordon 453 

U.      Letter  from  the  IMahdi  to  General  Gordon  with  two 

enclosures,  with  General  Gordon's  answer  .  .  .  453 
A  letter  from  General   Gordon   to   the   Mudir  of 

Dongola 464 

V.      Manifesto    of    the   Mahdi   to    the    inhabitants    of 

Kartoum 466 

X.      Letter  from  Major  Kitchener  to  General  Gordon, 

enclosing  one  from  Herr  Roth,  and  a  telegram  .  471 

Book  VI. 

Y.      H.E.  The  Khedive's  Firman,  and  notice  by  General 

Gordon 473 

AB.  Letter  from  Khalifa  Abdullah  Mahomed  to  General 

Gordon 475 

CD.   Petition  of  the  Ulema  at  Kartoum  to  the  Khedive  .  477 

EF.   Organisation  of  the  Soudan  under  Zubair  ....  478 


PREFACE. 


The  work  of  editing  these  Journals  at  an  end,  it 
only  remains  for  me  now  to  thank  those  who  have 
helped  me  in  its  compilation.  To  Sir  Henry  Gordon 
I  can  only  return  my  heartfelt  thanks  for  this  addi- 
tional kindness  he  has  done  me  in  giving  me  all  aid 
and  advice.  But  there  is  one  other,  one  of  my  oldest 
and  most  valued  friends,  whose  assistance  in  every 
way  I  wish  most  thoroughly  to  acknowledge :  this  is 
Mr.  Godfrey  Thrupp.  When  it  became  obvious  that 
the  public  demand  for  the  work  made  its  completion 
in  so  short  a  time  impossible,  as  the  conscientious 
achievement  of  one  man,  he  generously  came  forward. 
His  knowledge  of  the  East  and  his  deep  interest  in 
the  subject  made  him  an  invaluable  colleague. 

A.  EGMONT  HAKE. 


INTRODUCTION. 


*  Friends,  Romans,  countrymen,  lend  me  your  ears  ; 
I  come  to  bury  Csesar,  not  to  praise  him. 
The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them  ; 
The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones. 

Good  friends,  sweet  friends,  let  me  not  stir  you  up 
To  such  a  sudden  flood  of  mutiny. 
They  that  have  done  this  deed  are  honourable  ; 
What  private  griefs  they  had,  alas  !  I  know  not, 
That  made  them  do  it ;  they  are  wise  and  honourable, 
And  will,  no  doubt,  with  reasons  answer  you. 


But  were  I  Brutus, 
And  Brutus  Antony,  there  were  an  Antony 
Would  ruffle  up  your  spirits,  and  put  a  tongue 
In  every  wound  of  Csesar,  that  should  move 
The  stones  of  Rome  to  rise  and  mutiny." 

These  grand  lines  force  themselves  upon  me, 
though  maybe  their  analogy  is  incomplete.  Mark 
Antony  was  a  casuist,  and  pleaded  the  cause  of  re- 
venge, while  I  am  only  earnest  in  the  cause  of  justice. 
Yet  I  trust  in  my  pleading  to  enable  Englishmen  to 
realise  how  great  and  how  sad  is  the  loss  of  Charles 
Gordon,  not  only  to  those  who  loved  him,  but  to  the 
cause  of  suffering  humanity.  Gordon  is  dead.  We 
cannot  bring  him  back  to  life.  Yet  from  his  death 
we  may  learn  at  least  how  fit  he  was  to  teach  us 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

while  he  lived,  how  fit  to  hold  his  country's  honour 
in  his  hand,  how  fit  to  judge  of  what  was  right  and 
what  was  wrong.  His  Journals  are  his  last  words  to 
the  world  as  much  as  they  are  instruction  and  in- 
formation to  his  Government,  and  Englishmen  who 
value  England's  honour  may  well  read  them  with  a 
heavy  heart  —  with  eyes  dimmed  by  tears.  I  say 
Gordon  is  dead,  and  we  cannot  bring  him  back  to 
life,  but  we  can  do  much  he  would  have  done  for  us 
had  he  heen  allowed  to  live.  His  Journals  tell  us 
how  we  can  best  repair  mischief  akeady  done  (and 
I  understand  his  words  to  apply  rather  to  the  Eng- 
lish peojjle  than  to  the  Government  which  represents 
them),  and  they  tell  us  what  is  best  for  the  Soudan. 
In  the  interest  of  this  unhappy  land  he  devoted  much 
of  his  life ;  in  its  interest  he  died.  Let  us  then  com- 
pare the  opposite  conditions  under  which  the  people 
existed  during  Gordon's  presence  and  absence,  and 
in  doing  this  let  us  mark  well  what  Gordon  said  dur- 
ing his  life,  and  what  his  Journals  say  for  him  now 
that  he  is  dead. 

Gordon  used  to  tell  the  story  of  how,  when  Said 
Pasha,  Viceroy  of  Egypt  before  Ismail,  went  up  to 
the  Soudan,  so  discouraged  and  horrified  was  he  at 
the  misery  of  the  people,  that  at  Berber  he  threw  his 
guns  into  the  river,  declaring  he  would  be  no  party 
to  such  oppression.  In  this  spirit  Gordon  went 
there  as  Governor  of  the  Equator  in  1874,  and  in 
this  spirit  he  expressed  his  views  on  the  duties  of 
foreigners  in  the  service  of  Oriental  states.  His 
ardent  and  unstudied  words  are  worthy  of  the  deep- 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 

est  study.  They  breathe  the  kindliest  ■vrisdom,  the 
most  prudent  philanthropy :  and  it  would  be  well  if 
those  whose  lot  is  thrown  in  barbarous  lands  would 
take  them  for  a  constant  guide.  To  accept  govern- 
ment, only  if  by  so  doing  you  benefit  the  race  you 
rule  ;  to  lead,  not  drive  the  people  to  a  higher  civili- 
sation ;  to  establish  only  such  reforms  as  ref)resent 
the  spontaneous  desire  of  the  mass  ;  to  abandon  re- 
lations with  yoiu'  native  land  :  to  resist  other  govern- 
ments, and  keep  intact  the  sovereignty  of  the  state 
whose  bread  you  eat ;  to  rejjresent  the  native  when 
ad\*ising  Ameer.  Sultan,  or  Khedive,  on  any  question 
which  your  own  or  any  foreign  government  may  wish 
solved  :  and  in  this  to  have  for  prop  and  guide  that 
which  is  universally  right  throughout  the  world,  that 
which  is  best  for  the  people  of  the  state  you  serve. 

Such  were  Gordon's  sentiments  when  he  first  en- 
tered upon  his  task;  well  would  it  have  been  for 
Egypt,  England,  and  the  world,  had  his  successors 
taken  them  to  heart  and  made  them  their  ideal.  In 
such  a  case  the  peace,  the  happiness  he  brought  to 
the  Soudan  might  still  have  been  preserved. 

Xever  perhaps  in  the  histories  of  barbarous  rule 
were  the  ideals  of  justice  and  truth  more  needed 
than  at  this  date  (1874).  Seven-eighths  of  the  pop- 
ulation were  slaves  ;  the  country  swarmed  with  slave- 
hunters  and  slave-dealers  ;  and  district  governors, 
greedy  for  pelf,  aided  and  abetted  them  in  their 
raids.  So  crushed  were  the  remaining  population 
that  they  regarded  all  comers  as  their  foes ;  so  desti- 
tute, that  they  were  ready  and  williag  to  exchange 
their  own  kin  for  cattle  or  for  srraiu.     Their  flocks 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

and  herds,  like  their  kindred,  had  been  robbed.  To 
sow  they  were  afraid,  for  governors  and  slave-hunters 
never  let  them  reap  ;  and  if  perchance  they  cultivated 
ground,  it  was  a  mere  patch  hidden  in  some  distant 
nook  out  of  the  enemy's  way.  The  maxims  of  their 
rulers,  prior  to  Gordon's  advent,  had  been  that  if 
the  natives  —  poor  unenlightened  blacks  —  did  not 
act  in  the  most  civilised  fashion  then  must  they  be 
punished  ;  and  when  these  rulers  for  their  own  acts 
were  brought  to  book,  they  cited  the  native  custom 
of  "  plunder  no  offence  "  in  their  own  excuse.  How 
the  governors,  in  league  with  dealers  and  hunters, 
had  acted  up  to  these  precepts,  was  apparent  enough 
in  the  desolation  which  reigned  around,  for  amid  the 
jungle  of  stunted  trees  and  tall  grasses  not  a  soul 
was  to  be  seen  —  all  driven  away  by  the  slavers  in 
past  years.  With  the  Egyptian  Government  such 
was  the  estimate  of  this  waste,  that  it  did  service  as 
a  colony  for  misdemeanants  among  Arab  troops ; 
and  hundreds  of  these  died  from  the  damp  and  the 
dulness  of  the  scene.  In  other  parts  less  than  100 
men  dared  not  move  from  one  station  to  another,  in 
fear  of  the  retaliating  tribes,  and  so  far  were  these 
stations  apart  that  it  took  six  weeks  to  communicate 
one  with  the  other.  In  addition  to  this  certain  chief- 
tains who  inhabited  the  borders  of  the  great  lakes 
were  engaged  in  wars  in  which  the  capture  of  slaves 
was  the  main  motive. 

Such,  in  brief,  was  the  state  of  affairs  between 
Kartoum  and  the  Lakes  when  Gordon  made  his 
journey  thither  ;  yet  it  afforded  in  no  way  the  only 
instance  of  oppression,  anarchy  or  misrule  in  these 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

lands.  In  Kordofan  and  Darfour  the  slave-traffic 
was  even  more  formidable  than  here.  In  the  latter 
province  a  war  between  the  slave-dealers  and  the 
Sultan's  troops  was  just  concluded,  and  the  two 
vast  lands,  with  Darfertit,  had  been  made  into  a 
Homkumdircat,  or  Governor-General's  district  re- 
sponsible to  Cairo,  and  separated  from  the  Soudan. 
But  Gordon's  work  was  for  the  present  confined  to 
laying"  down  a  chain  of  posts  between  Gondokoro 
and  the  Lakes,  and  by  this  and  other  means  con- 
tributing to  the  welfare  of  the  tribes  and  the  con- 
fusion of  the  slavers.  To  gain  the  confidence  of  the 
natives  was  his  first  care  ;  and  to  this  end  he  ven- 
tured alone  and  unarmed  into  those  isolated  spots, 
whither  not  less  than  a  hundred  men  had  dared  to 
go.  Then  he  showed  the  people  how  they  might 
sow  their  grain  without  fear,  supplying  them  with 
enough  to  live  on  until  their  wants  were  met ;  he 
also  taught  them  the  use  of  money,  and  gave  them 
task-work.  It  was  infinitely  little,  he  said,  among 
such  a  mass,  but  it  was  at  any  rate  something,  and 
might  perhaps  enable  him  to  solve  the  question 
whether  the  negroes  would  work  sufficiently  to  keep 
themselves  if  life  and  property  were  secured.  To 
give  them  this  protection,  he  seized  all  convoys  of 
slaves,  and  ivory  and  cattle  coming  from  the  south, 
punished  the  slave-dealers,  or  converted  them  into 
troops,  for  they  were  hard,  active  fellows,  the  rem- 
nant of  an  ancient  race ;  and  designing  and  despotic 
governors  he  despatched  to  Cairo  or  Kartoum.  The 
slaves  themselves,  until  he  could  deliver  them  over 
to  their  kinsfolk,  he  kept,  the  cattle  and  the  ivory 


xiv  INTRODUCTION. 

lie  confiscated,  and  with  the  proceeds  swelled  the 
Government  treasury. 

It  would  seem  the  fate  of  those  who  devote  their 
lives  to  the  cause  of  humanity  to  be  foiled  instead  of 
aided  in  their  aim.  In  all  his  efforts  for  the  good 
of  these  blacks  Gordon  met  with  every  form  of  in- 
terference whence  he  might  at  least  expect  support. 
Ismail  Pasha  Yacoub,  the  Governor-General  of  the 
Soudan,  jealous  of  the  new  Governor  of  the  Equator 
and  fearful  of  exposure  from  so  conscientious  a  ser- 
vant of  the  State,  put  every  obstacle  in  Gordon's 
way ;  and  the  Khedive  himself  was  not  always  mind- 
ful of  the  many  difficulties  to  be  encountered.  But 
Gordon  said,  to  blame  the  Khedive  for  his  actions 
you  must  blame  his  people,  and  blame  their  Creator ; 
they  act  after  their  kind,  and  in  the  fashion  they 
were  made.  So  that  he  took  little  heed  of  all  this. 
He  was  content  to  let  it  be  widely  known  that  the 
motto  of  his  province  would  henceforth  be  Hurryat 
(liberty)  ;  and  this  meant  that  no  man  should  inter- 
fere with  another,  that  there  should  be  an  end  to  kid- 
napping and  all  plunder,  an  end  to  despotic  Pashas ; 
and  those  who  objected  were  told  that  the  motto  in- 
cluded their  liberty  to  quit.  Moreover,  he  was  of 
opinion  that  those  who  annexed  the  province  needed 
as  much  civilisation  as  those  they  attempted  to  civil- 
ise ;  and,  whenever  it  was  necessary  in  the  interests 
of  his  people,  he  never  hesitated  to  show  them  that 
this  was  his  view. 

Still,  though  he  succeeded  in  giving  peace  and 
happiness  to  the  people,  in  reforming  the  cruelties  of 
Mudirs  and  Pashas,  in  settling  the  disputes  of  war- 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

ring  chiefs,  and  in  laying  down  tlie  chain  of  posts 
between  Gondokoro  and  the  Lakes :  in  making  all 
these  beneficent  reforms,  his  heart  was  ever  bur- 
dened with  the  thought  of  how  this  new  and  unac- 
customed good  would  affect  the  people  and  their 
lands  when,  as  time  went  on,  himself  and  his  influ- 
ence were  removed,  and  his  successors,  who  under- 
stood his  high  intent  as  little  as  they  understood  the 
people  themselves,  ruled  in  his  stead.  "I  think, 
what  right  have  I  to  coax  the  natives  to  be  quiet  for 
them  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  rapacious  Pashas  ?  I 
think  sometimes  that  through  my  influence  I  am  se- 
ducing the  natives  into  a  position  where  they  will  be 
a  prey  to  my  Arab  successor.  They  would  never 
do  for  an  Arab  what  they  do  for  me.  I  make 
friends  with  the  tribes  right  and  left." 

But,  apart  from  these  feelings,  he  was  not  satis- 
fied ;  his  success  in  his  own  province  had  been  com- 
plete, but,  instead  of  meeting  with  co-operation  from 
the  adjoining  Soudan,  he  had  encountered  nothing 
but  interference  from  its  then  Governor  -  General, 
Ismail  Pasha  Yacoub,  to  whose  interests  it  was  to 
let  slavery  go  on.  For  this  reason,  therefore,  Gor- 
don, after  three  years'  labour,  resigned  his  post  as 
Governor  of  the  Equator.  But  the  step  was  taken 
in  a  wavering  spirit ;  and  these  are  among  his  last 
words  ere  he  left ;  "  By  retiring  I  do  not  aid  any- 
thing; by  staying  I  keep  my  province  safe  from  in- 
justice and  cruelty  in  some  degree.  Why  should  I 
fear?  Is  man  stronger  than  God?  Things  have 
come  to  such  a  pass  in  these  Mussulman  countries 
that  a  crisis  must  come  about  soon." 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

These  significant  words,  so  terribly  confirmed  less 
than  ten  years  later,  were  uttered  in  September  of 
1876. 

Gordon's  resignation  soon  led  to  his  reinstatement 
on  terms  more  fitted  to  his  views.  In  the  new  po- 
sition he  felt  strongly  that,  great  as  was  the  trust 
and  the  almost  superhuman  work  expected  of  him, 
if  he  did  not  entirely  succeed  at  least  he  would  not 
be  hamijered.  He  was  not  only  appointed  Gov- 
ernor-General of  the  Soudan  in  Ismail  Pasha  Ya- 
coub's  stead ;  he  was  given  authority  such  as  none 
had  previously  enjoyed  —  complete  power,  civil  and 
military,  with  the  life  or  death  of  his  subjects  in  his 
hand ;  and  no  man  dare  enter  his  dominions  without 
special  leave.  He  had  stipulated  that  this  supreme 
command  should  be  independent  of  Cairo,  for  he 
knew  the  Egyptian  authorities  to  be  in  favour  of 
the  slave  trade.  The  imdefined  territory  now  his 
had  hitherto  been  subject  to  several  governments  — 
Arab,  Egyptian,  Turkish.  Henceforth  Soudan  was 
to  mean  the  vast  territory  limited  on  the  north  by 
Upper  Egypt,  on  the  south  by  the  Lakes,  on  the 
east  by  Abyssinia  and  the  Red  Sea,  and  on  the  west 
extending  beyond  Kordofan  and  the  newly  acquired 
sultanate  of  Darfour  —  the  whole  roughly  estimated 
at  more  than  1600  miles  in  length,  and  700  miles  in 
width.  There  were  to  be  three  Vakeels  or  Sub- 
Governors  :  one  for  the  original  Soudan,  another 
for  Darfour,  and  a  third  for  the  Ked  Sea,  or  East- 
ern Soudan. 

The  suppression  of  slavery,  in  which  he  had  been 
so  far  successful  in  his  own  province,  and  the  im- 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 

provement  of  commimications,  which  he  had  long 
declared  to  be  the  one  means  by  which  that  traffic 
could  be  effectually  checked,  were  the  two  objects  to 
which  Gordon  was  to  specially  direct  his  aim. 

Remembering  his  recent  experiences,  he  was  fully 
prepared  for  the  condition  of  his  new  subjects.  In 
his  predecessor,  Ismail  Pasha  Yacoub,  he  had  al- 
ready recognised  the  quintessence  of  Egyptian  cu- 
pidity and  Turkish  misrule  —  the  main  cause  of  the 
people's  ruin.  The  experiences  of  the  first  months 
of  his  administration  only  served  to  confirm  his 
worst  fears ;  whithersoever  he  looked  he  saw  an 
enlarged  picture  of  native  misery  and  destitution,  of 
alien  cruelty  and  oppression  he  had  before  witnessed. 
He  saw  that  the  Circassian  Pashas,  the  Bashi-Ba- 
zouks,  the  Arab  soldiery,  the  slave-hunters,  were  by 
their  acts  fast  goading  the  people  to  revolt ;  that 
tribes  which  without  their  interference  would  have 
been  at  peace  were  now  at  war ;  that  towns  which 
under  proper  rule  would  have  flourished  were  starv- 
ing or  besieged  ;  and  that  the  land,  otherwise  fertile, 
was  a  waste.  On  every  hand  he  found  caravans  of 
packed  slaves  hungering  and  parching  in  the  sun, 
far  from  their  homes  and  far  from  their  goal,  unless 
that  goal  were  death  ;  deserts  strewn  with  innumer- 
able bones  ;  armed  bands  of  slave-hunters,  dogged 
by  the  vulture-like  dealers,  waiting  and  watching 
for  further  prey ;  and  over  all  these  reigned  the 
miscreant  spirit  of  Zubair,  the  slave-king,  now  os- 
tensibly a  prisoner  at  Cairo  for  past  deeds,  but  act- 
ually aiding  and  abetting  this  cruel  war  against 
man  through  his  son  Suleiman,  the  chief  of  his  de- 


xviii  INTRODUCTION. 

serted  band.  To  remove  Zubair's  influence  was  as 
impossible  of  achievement  as  to  cut  off  the  demand 
for  slaves  at  Cairo,  Constantinople,  or  Stamboul ; 
but  to  break  up  Suleiman  and  his  band  lay  within 
Gordon's  grasp,  and,  as  one  of  the  main  causes  of 
trouble,  he  made  it  his  foremost  aim.  How  he  did 
this  by  the  simple  power  of  his  presence,  and  how 
Suleiman  and  his  six  thousand,  after  signal  submis- 
sion, again  broke  out  into  open  revolt  so  soon  as 
Gordon's  presence  was  required  elsewhere,  affords 
one  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  the  personal 
influence  he  had  acquired.  Alone  and  himself  un- 
armed he  had  temporarily  succeeded  in  disarming 
these  rebels  ;  but,  this  failing  in  permanent  use,  he 
effectually  quelled  them  in  battle ;  then,  to  show  his 
jDcople,  his  Government,  and  the  world  how  great 
a  wrong  this  slavery  was,  he  ordered  the  summary 
execution  of  the  ringleaders.  "  With  the  death  of 
Zubair's  son,"  he  said,  "  there  Is  an  end  of  the  slave- 
trade."  Never  had  the  Government  such  a  chance 
of  preventing  its  renewal.  He  had  disbanded  the 
Bashi  -  Bazouks,  he  had  dismissed  the  peculating 
Mudirs  and  Pashas ;  and  when  he  left  the  country, 
after  a  three  years'  reign,  the  people  blessed  him, 
and  begged  him  to  return. 

Had  he  been  allowed  to  act  according  to  the  letter 
and  the  spirit  of  the  Firman  he  received,  it  is  most 
probable  that  he  would  never  this  second  time  have 
resigned  ;  but  the  overthrow  of  Ismail  at  Cairo  and 
the  dissolution  of  the  Dual  Control  had  with  other 
changes  brought  new  law-makers  for  the  Soudan. 
Ismail,  though  in  many  respects  an  imprudent  ruler, 


INTRODUCTION.  xix 

had  at  least  the  merit  of  believing  in  his  English 
Governor-General,  and  of  supporting  him  whenever 
it  lay  in  his  power.  Gordon's  lonely  ride  into  the 
slavers'  camp  at  Shaka  had  fired  the  ex-Khedive's 
imagination,  and  it  was  observed  that,  whenever  the 
Court  Pashas  attempted  to  criticise  Gordon's  meth- 
ods of  ride,  the  Khedive  referred  them  to  this  deed. 
Moreover,  he  openly  acknowledged  him  as  his  supe- 
rior, and  fought  Ms  battles  as  those  of  one  who  was 
above  the  murmur  of  men.  Gordon  has,  indeed, 
himself  recorded  how  the  Khedive  sent  him  a  con- 
gratulatory letter  on  the  suppression  of  Suleiman, 
adding  that  during  the  time  of  his  rule  the  ex-Khe- 
dive supported  him  through  thick  and  thin  against 
his  own  Pashas  and  his  own  people ;  and  certain  it 
is  that  to  the  files  of  petitions  sent  to  him  against 
Gordon  he  woidd  never  listen.  But  when  Towfik 
was  set  up  it  was  a  different  affair.  Never  was  he 
heard  to  mention  Zubair's  name.  As  for  the  slave- 
trade,  it  was  equally  ignored.  Nay,  worse  than  this, 
the  Cairo  Pashas,  powerless  in  Ismail's  time,  had 
now  full  sway,  and  it  being  in  their  interests  that 
the  slave-trade  should  revive,  the  choice  of  Gordon's 
successor  was  settled  among  themselves.  It  fell  to 
R^ouf  Pasha,  a  man  whom  Sir  Samuel  Baker  had 
already  exposed  as  a  murderer,  and  whom  Gordon 
had  in  1877  turned  out  of  Harrat  for  acts  of  oppres- 
sion. The  apj)oiutment,  therefore,  meant  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  a  declaration  in  favour  of  the 
slavers  ;  and  it  was  because  Gordon  feared  this  re- 
sult that  he  had  said  six  months  before,  viz.,  in 
April,  1879,  that  "  If  the  liberation  of  slaves  takes 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

place  in  1884,  and  if  the  present  system  of  govern- 
ment goes  on.,  there  cannot  fail  to  he  a  revolt  of 
the  ichole  comifry.^^  And  again  he  says  in  1878, 
"  There  is  no  doubt  that  if  the  Government  of 
France  and  England  pay  more  attention  to  the  Sou- 
dan and  see  that  justice  is  done,  the  disruption  of 
the  Soudan  from  Cairo  is  only  a  matter  of  time. 
This  disruption,  moreover,  will  not  end  the  troubles 
for  the  Soudanese,  though  their  allies  in  Lower 
Egypt  will  cai'ry  on  their  efforts  in  Cairo  itself."  ^ 

How  prophetic  these  words  have  since  proved  to 
be  it  is  needless  to  say.  In  April,  1880,  just  a  year 
later,  Gordon  wrote,  as  he  left  for  India  :  — 

I  have  learned  with  equal  pain  and  indignation  that  the 
Khedive  and  liis  subordinate  officers  have  permitted  the 
resuscitation  of  the  slave-trade  in  Darfour  and  the  other 
provinces  of  central  and  equatorial  Africa,  and  that  fresh 
parties  of  slave-hunters  are  forming  at  Obeyed  in  Kordo- 
fan,  and  that  every  order  which  I  gave  concerning  the 
suppression  of  this  abomination  has  been  cancelled. 

The  two  missionaries  —  Wilson  and  Felkin  —  who  have 
lately  come  down  from  Uganda,  passed  through  these  dis- 
tricts, and  they  teU  me  that  the  slave-hunters  are  all  ready 
to  start  once  more  upon  their  detestable  trade,  and  that 
there  is  a  very  strong  feeling  abroad  that  all  the  Euro- 
peans, including  of  com'se  Gessi  and  the  other  officers 
who  acted  under  me,  are  about  to  be  turned  out  of  the 
country.  This  report,  even  if  it  be  untrue,  will  largely 
serve  to  lower  the  authority  of  the  European  officers,  and 
to  render  their  work  more  difficult. 

Tliis  news  is  very  disheartening,  especially  when  one 
realises  the  immense  misery  which  wiU  ensue  to  the  re- 
mains of  these  poor  tribes  of  helpless  negroes. 

1  Hill's  'Colonel  Gordon  in  Central  Africa,'  p.  -373. 


INTRODUCTION.  xxi 

The  events  which  followed  on  these  first  examples 
of  a  wholesale  perversion  of  Gordon's  methods  have 
proved  over  and  over  again  the  value  of  his  warning 
words ;  it  is  worthy  of  special  remark  that  among 
the  causes  of  the  great  rebellion  which  ensued,  as 
interpreted  by  the  English  Government  in  their  his- 
tory and  the  insurrection  of  the  False  Prophet,^  not 
the  religious  fanaticism  of  the  native  tribes  has  a 
foremost  place,  but  the  venality  and  oppression  of 
by  Egyptian  officials,  the  unjust  manner  of  collect- 
ing the  taxes,  and,  above  alL  the  suppression  of 
the  slave-trade^  which  Gordon  had  repeatedly  said 
must  lead  to  future  troubles,  unless  accompanied 
hy  a  proper  system  of  government. 

Thus  the  condition  into  which  the  Soudan  drifted 
during  Gordon's  absence  was  due  to  deliberate  neg- 
lect of  the  precautions  he  had  urged.  Had  the 
Egyptian  Government  watched  and  warded  off  the 
regeneration  of  the  slavers  after  Gordon  dealt  his 
final  blow  in  Suleiman's  death  ;  had  they  set  their 
face  against  the  oppression  and  cupidity  of  their 
own  officials,  the  Soudan  might  still  have  been  at 
peace,  as  Gordon  left  it  in  1879.  But  the  new 
rulers  were  in  favour  of  slavery,  in  favour  of  op- 
pression, in  favour  of  backsheesh  ;  and  "  a  revolt  of 
tbe  whole  country  was  their  reward." 

It  is  needless  to  do  more  than  briefly  recall  the 
events  preceding  those  related  by  Gordon  himself  in 
these  Journals.  Every  one  remembers  his  going, 
and  the  triumph  of  his  journey  and  reception  in  the 
Soudan ;  the  wide  welcome  which  his  first  Procla- 

1  See  Appendix. 


xxii  INTRODUCTION. 

mation  received,  and  the  fortunes  of  the  peace  pol- 
icy he  at  first  endeavoured  to  pursue.  Every  one 
remembers  how,  before  he  had  been  in  Kartoum 
a  week,  he  issued  a  further  Proclamation,  warning 
the  rebellious  against  forcing  him  to  severe  meas- 
ures. The  Sheikhs  and  people  were  anxious  to  be 
loyal ;  without  Government  protection  they  would . 
be  obliged,  in  self-defence,  to  join  the  Mahdi.  This 
Colonel  Stewart  had  discovered  in  his  journey  up 
the  White  Nile.  For  this  reason  Zubair  was  asked 
for,  the  only  man  of  enough  prestige  to  hold  the 
country  together.  A  Pasha  among  the  Shaggyeh 
irregulars,  —  a  tribe  wavering  between  loyalty  and 
revolt,  and  blockaded  at  Half y eh,  outside  the  city, 
—  to  him  were  open  sources  of  information  closed 
to  the  English  Governor-General.  Zubair  would 
prove  stronger  than  the  Mahdi,  and  the  Mahdi 
must  be  "  smashed  up ;  "  otherwise,  not  only  would 
peace  and  the  evacuation  of  Kartoum  be  impossible, 
but  Egypt  itseK  would  be  in  danger.  This  state  of 
affairs  and  the  measures  necessary  for  a  new  de- 
parture being  alike  unacceptable  to  Her  Majesty's 
Government,  Gordon  thereupon  used,  as  he  had 
every  right  to  do,  the  resources  to  his  hand. 

His  predictions  as  to  what  would  result  if  Zubair 
were  not  sent  up  were  soon  realised.  The  rebels 
gradually  gathered  round  the  city,  besieged  its  out- 
lying suburbs,  and  cut  the  communications.  His 
suffering  subjects,  unable  to  hold  out,  were  either 
killed  or,  escaping,  went  over  to  the  enemy.  In 
some  cases  he  managed  to  drive  the  rebels  from  the 
trenches  of  Kartoum,  and  even  to  relieve  the  be- 


INTRODUCTION.  xxiii 

leagiired  villages,  and  return  loaded  with  ammuni- 
tion and  stores  ;  in  others,  his  army  of  defence, 
composed  largely  of  Egyptians  and  Bashi-Bazouks, 
encountered  miserable  defeat.  These  expeditions 
were  made  in  small  steamers,  armoured  with  boiler 
plates  and  carrying  mountain  guns,  with  wooden 
mantlets  of  his  own  contriving.  On  one  occasion 
the  rebels  so  harassed  the  city  that  Gordon  resolved 
on  a  sortie ;  but  no  sooner  had  the  rebels  retired  to 
a  place  of  safety  than  five  of  his  own  commanders 
charged  back  on  their  men  and  aided  the  rebels, 
who  suddenly  leaped  from  their  hiding  place,  driv- 
ing the  affrighted  army  back  to  Kartoum.  In  this 
treacherous  and  cowardly  affair  the  loss  on  both 
sides  was  great ;  but  the  disgrace  was  the  besiegers', 
and  of  it  they  showed  their  sense  by  crying  out  for 
justice  on  the  traitors.  Two  of  them  were  tried 
and,  found  guilty,  were  shot  by  the  men  they  had 
outraged.  Henceforth  the  city  was  exposed  to  the 
attacks  of  the  Mahdi's  troops ;  the  streets,  the  Mis- 
sion House,  the  Palace,  were  hourly  shelled  ;  citi- 
zens died  as  they  passed  from  end  to  end  ;  but  the 
Governor-General,  always  exposed  as  in  old  days, 
though  daily  inspecting  the  lines  or  pacing  the  Pal- 
ace roof,  escaped  unhurt. 

Meantime  the  strength  of  the  rebellion  grew  with 
every  day ;  the  Mahdi,  still  at  El  Obeyed,  had  de- 
spatched his  emissaries  in  all  directions ;  around 
Suakin,  Berber,  Shendy,  Kassala,  the  rebels  rapidly 
recruited  their  ranks.  The  would-be  loyal  fell  from 
sheer  collapse  ;  they  were  unable  to  help  themselves. 
All  chance  of  relief  was  gone,  and  the  rebel  leaders 


XXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

re-eclioed  in  jeering  tones  the  Governor-General's 
reiterated  words,  "  The  English  are  coming."  Then 
Berber,  the  main  link  between  Kartoum  and  Cairo, 
cried  out  for  help,  but  like  those  at  Tokar  and  those 
at  Sinkat,  it  cried  out  in  vain.  To  do  as  he  pleased 
was  the  answer  sent  to  its  hitherto  loyal  Governor ; 
and,  to  save  his  people  and  himself,  he  joined  the 
Mahdi's  hordes.  In  his  triumph,  the  False  Prophet 
despatched  two  dervishes  to  Kartoiim,  to  ask  if 
Gordon  would  himself  become  a  follower  of  the 
Imam,  the  Expected  One ;  but  they  were  told  that 
no  terms  could  be  made  while  Kartoum  held  its 
ground. 

All  hope  of  a  peace,  all  hope  of  aid  from  his  own 
Government  or  country,  being  at  an  end,  Gordon 
forthwith  began  to  provision  the  town,  and  to  take 
such  steps  as  would  ensure  a  safe  means  of  defence 
and  attack.  Money  was  scarce,  so  a  paper  cur- 
rency was  established,  and  three  of  the  wealthier 
citizens  were  called  upon  to  advance  sums  on  the 
Governor-General's  security.  Their  arrears  were 
paid,  the  poor  were  succoured,  and  rations  issued. 
All  possible  precautions  were  taken  for  the  safety  of 
the  people.  Mines  were  contrived,  torpedoes  laid, 
and  broken  glass  and  wire  entanglements  arranged, 
and  watchers  posted  everywhere.  The  blacks  quar- 
tered in  the  poorer  district  of  the  town  were  made 
to  serve,  and  all  men  ordered  to  bear  arms;  the 
staple  food  of  officei's  was  biscuit,  and  dhoora  was 
given  the  men.  Having  made  all  his  arrangements 
on  land,  he  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  Nile; 
and,  as  in  the  campaign  against  the  Taipings,  so  in 


INTRODUCTION.  xxv 

this  desperate  struggle  with  the  Arabs,  he  organ- 
ized out  of  the  wretched  materials  at  hand,  a  fleet 
-such  as  the  rebels  could  not  withstand.  Thus  he 
avenged  defeat,  drew  in  stores  and  guns,  and  held 
the  enemy  at  bay.  So  that  for  eleven  long  months, 
spite  of  mutiny,  cowardice,  and  treachery  within, 
and  the  constant  attacks  from  the  enemy  without, 
he  held  his  own ;  and  to  spare,  out  of  the  little 
navy  he  had  built,  a  steamer  for  the  conveyance 
of  his  comrades,  Stewart,  Power,  Herbin,  and  the 
Greeks.  Moreover,  when  at  last  the  news  of  the 
English  Expedition  arrived,  he  was  further  able  to 
send  down  three  other  boats  to  Metemma  for  their 
use.  It  is  at  this  point,  when  vainly  watching  day 
and  night  for  English  help,  that  the  Journals  begin. 
How  his  time  was  jDassed  till  we  should  come,  how 
he  viewed  our  chances  of  success,  and  how  he  pro- 
posed to  act  if  we  at  last  did  arrive,  this  is  a  story 
which  the  Journals  tell  themselves. 

I  have  endeavoured  to  show  the  conditions  vmder 
which  the  people  of  the  Soudan  existed  during  Gor- 
don's absence  and  during  his  presence.  The  con- 
trast is  sufficient  to  enable  the  world  to  believe  that 
if  any  man  were  capable  of  restoring  order  to  the 
country,  that  man  was  Gordon.  But  when  he  left 
England  for  the  Soudan  as  the  Envoy  of  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government,  he  had  no  authority  to  act^  for 
his  mission  was  only  to  advise.  He  was  to  report  to 
Her  Majesty's  Government  on  the  military  situation 
in  the  Soudan,  and  on  the  measures  which  it  might 
be  deemed  advisable  to  take  for  the  security  of  the 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

Egyptian  garrisons  still  holding  positions  in  that 
country,  and  for  the  safety  of  the  European  popula- 
tion in  Kartoum ;  and,  further,  upon  the  manner  in 
which  the  safety  and  good  administration  of  the 
Egyptian  Government  of  the  ports  on  the  sea  coast 
could  best  be  secured.  So  far,  then,  all  action  lay 
in  the  hands  of  the  Government  to  which  Gordon 
was  to  make  his  report :  the  administrators  were  to 
be  Her  Majesty's  Ministers  and  their  representative 
at  Cairo,  while  Gordon  was  to  be  their  informant, 
and  perhaps  subsequently  their  agent,  to  carry  out 
such  measures  as  they  might  think  fit  to  adopt. 
With  this  arrangement  in  view,  all  who  knew  Gor- 
don's character  and  antecedents  felt  that  the  only 
chance  for  the  Soudan  lay  in  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment first  accepting  such  suggestions  as  he  might 
append  to  his  report,  and,  second,  in  their  giving 
him  carte  hlanche  to  carry  out  those  suggestions  in 
his  own  way.  Little  heed  was  paid  to  the  clause 
which  said,  "  You  will  consider  yourself  authorised 
and  instructed  to  perform  such  other  duties  as  the 
Egyptian  Government  may  desire  to  entrust  to  you," 
for  its  possible  value  seemed  upset  by  the  concluding 
sentence,  "  and  as  may  be  communicated  to  you  by 
Sir  E.  Baring."  Yet  this  clause,  strangely  enough, 
enabled  Gordon  to  hold  a  position  over  which  even 
Her  Majesty's  Government  could  have  no  control, 
unless  they  openly  declared  the  annexation  of  Egypt 
and  the  Soudan.  The  Egyptian  Government,  that 
is  the  Khedive  and  his  ministers,  elected  again  to  ap- 
point Gordon  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan  ;  Gor- 
don elected  to  accept  that  appointment ;  and  Her 


INTRODUCTION.  xxvii 

Majesty's  Government  elected  to  sanction  the  accept- 
ance, in  an  official  communication  forwarded  to  him 
through  their  representative,  Sir  E.  Baring.  From 
this  moment  Gordon's  position  was*  entirely  altered. 
Her  Majesty's  Government  and  the  Egyptian  Gov- 
ernment agreed  that  his  mission  was  no  longer  to  be 
one  of  mere  reporting.  He  was  to  "  evacuate  the 
Soudan,  and  the  Egyptian  Government  had  the 
fullest  confidence  in  his  judgment  and  knoidedge  of 
the  country,  and  of  his  comprehension  of  the  gen- 
eral line  of  policy  to  he  pursued  ;  and  no  effort  loas 
to  he  loanting  on  the  part  of  the  Cairo  authorities, 
whether  English  or  Egyptian,  to  afford  him  all  the 
co-operatio7i  and  siqjport  in  their  powerT 

When  it  became  an  established  fact  that  General 
Gordon,  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan,  had  been 
sent  up  to  evacuate  the  garrisons  of  the  country,  it 
also  became  an  established  fact  that  the  method  of 
conducting  that  evacuation  had  passed  out  of  the 
hands  of  Her  Majesty's  Government ;  and  one  may 
also  say  it  had  virtually  passed  out  of  the  hands  of 
the  Egyptian  Government  while  Gordon  held  the 
Firman  of  the  Khedive.  Therefore,  as  this  Firman 
was  never  cancelled  from  the  day  of  Gordon's  de- 
parture from  Cairo  to  the  day  of  his  death  at  Kar- 
toum,  and  as  it  said,  amongst  other  things,  "  We  do 
hereby  appoint  you  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan, 
and  we  trust  that  you  will  carry  out  our  good  inten- 
tions for  the  establishment  of  justice  and  order,  and 
that  you  will  assure  the.  peace  and  prosperity  of  the 
people  of  Soudan  by  maintaining  the  security  of  the 
roads  open,  &c.,"  it  is  as  unfair  as  it  is  illogical  to 


xxvni  INTRODUCTION. 

talk  about  "  General  Gordon  having  exceeded  the 
instructions  conveyed  to  him  by  Her  Majesty  s  Gov- 
ernment ^  These  instructions  were  neither  more 
nor  less  than  those  conveyed  to  him  by  the  Khedive 
of  Egypt,  who  actually  delegated  his  own  power  to 
his  Governor-General.  To  exceed  his  instructions 
was  an  impossibility ;  to  fulfil  or  to  disappoint  all 
the  hopes  expressed  in  them  was  a  possibility  de- 
pendent solely  on  the  good  or  bad  faith  of  the  Gov- 
ernments who  employed  him. 

The  fact  that  Gordon  held  his  commission  in  Her 
Majestj^'s  service  and  the  Governor-Generalship  of 
the  Soudan  at  the  same  time,  in  no  way  compro- 
mised him  with  Her  Majesty's  Government  in  regard 
to  their  wishes  as  to  how  this  or  that  should  be  done, 
or  as  to  how  this  or  that  should  be  left  undone  :  yet 
he  tried  earnestly  to  identify  himself  with  their 
wishes  as  far  as  in  doing  so  he  could  keep  faith  with 
the  people  he  was  endeavouring  to  assist,  and  with 
whom  he  began  to  compromise  himself.  That  he 
was  justified  in  so  doing  there  should  be  no  shadow 
of  doubt  even  in  the  minds  of  Mr.  Gladstone's  minis- 
try. The  wishes  of  the  Kliedive  were  accepted  by 
Gordon  as  the  wishes  of  Her  Majesty's  Government, 
and  he  had  begun  to  act,  i.  e.,  to  compromise  him- 
self with  the  Soudanese  and  the  beleaguered  garri- 
sons before  he  reached  Kartoum. 

These  are  the  Khedive's  wishes  as  expressed  in  a 
letter  to  Gordon,  dated  January  26th,  1884 :  — 

Excellency, 

You  are  aware  that  the  object  of  your  arrival  here  and 


INTRODUCTION.  xxix 

of  your  mission  to  the  Soudan  is  to  carry  into  execution 
the  evacuation  of  those  territories,  and  to  withdraw  oiu* 
troops,  civU  officials,  and  such  of  the  inhabitants,  together 
with  their  belongings,  as  may  wish  to  leave  for  Egypt. 
We  trust  that  your  Excellency  will  adopt  the  most  effec- 
tive measures  for  the  accomijhshment  of  your  mission  in 
this  respect,  and  that,  after  completing  the  evacuation, 
you  will  take  the  necessary  steps  for  establishing  an  or- 
ganised Government  in  the  different  provinces  of  the 
Soudan,  for  the  maintenance  of  order,  and  the  cessation 
of  all  disasters  and  incitement  to  revolt. 

We  have  full  confidence  in  your  tried  abilities  and  tact, 
and  are  convinced  that  you  will  accomplish  your  mission 
according  to  om-  desire. 

The  Khedive  could  hardly  have  written  this  letter 
had  he  imagined  Lord  Granville  would  telegraph 
three  months  later  to  Gordon,  saying  that  "  under- 
taking military  expeditions  was  beyond  the  scope  of 
the  commission  he  held,  and  at  variance  with  the 
pacific  policy  which  was  the  purpose  of  his  mission 
to  the  Soudan." 

Effective  measures  for  the  accomplishment  of  Gen- 
eral Gordon's  mission  included  the  possibility  and 
great  probability  of  serious  fighting  in  the  interest 
of  a  pacific  policy,  and  it  is  strange  if  Lord  Gran- 
ville were  unable  to  grasp  that  fact  when  he  en- 
dorsed the  Khedive's  Firman. 

So  far  I  have  advanced  only  a  few  of  the  innu- 
merable proofs  of  Gordon's  authority  to  act  as  he 
thought  fit ;  as  to  his  capabilities  and  his  judgment 
it  is  unnecessary  to  speak.  Of  those  who  subse- 
quently would  not  accept  his  judgment,  one,  Mr. 


XXX  INTRODUCTION. 

Gladstone,  said,  "  It  was  our  duty,  whatever  we 
might  feel,  to  beware  of  interfering  with  Gordon's 
plans,  and  before  we  adopted  any  scheme  that  should 
bear  that  aspect  (i.  e.  the  aspect  of  interference),  to 
ask  whether  in  his  judgment  there  would  or  would 
not  be  such  an  interference."  The  other.  Sir 
Charles  Dillie,  said,  "  He  is  better  able  to  form  a 
judgment  than  anybody.  He  will  have,  I  make  no 
doubt,  every  support  he  can  need  in  the  prosecution 
of  his  mission." 

Personally  I  do  not  believe  that  a  single  Cabinet 
Minister  doubted  Gordon's  authority  to  act  as  he 
thought  fit,  nor  do  I  believe  a  single  Cabinet  Minis- 
ter doubted  either  his  capabilities  or  his  judgment. 
It  was  only  when  the  Government  realised  how 
strong  that  authority  was ;  how  significantly  Gor- 
don proposed  to  wield  it,  and  how  he  meant  to  call 
upon  his  country  to  support  him  in  what  was  right, 
irrespective  of  party  feeling  and  of  prejudiced  pub- 
lic opinion,  that  references  were  made  to  "  General 
Gordon  8  'pecid'iar  vietvs  "  and  to  "  his  disobedience 
of  orders.  I  would  let  the  latter  remark  pass  as 
unworthy  of  further  comment,  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  it  has  become  a  common  phrase  among  the 
working  classes  in  the  North  of  England,  when  they 
are  either  speaking  of  or  are  spoken  to  about  Gen- 
eral Gordon.  Now  I  sincerely  trust  and  believe  that 
the  Journals  will  be  read  eagerly  by  the  working 
classes ;  they  cannot  occupy  their  leisure  time  better 
than  in  reading  them,  and,  indeed,  in  learning  much 
of  them  by  heart.  I  would  say  then,  to  these  people. 
Do  not  believe  that  General   Gordon  was  dlsobe- 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxi 

client  to  his  Government.  His  Government  per- 
mitted him  to  accept  the  Khedive's  Firman  appoint- 
ing him  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan,  with  full 
powers,  civil  and  military,  and  the  Khedive  desired 
him  to  "  evacuate  the  garrisons  of  the  country,  and 
to  restore  order ; "  and  the  way  in  which  this  was  to 
be  done  was  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  man  who 
had  to  do  it.  I  would  also  ask  these  people  to  note 
particularly  that  the  Khedive  did  not  tell  him  to 
evacuate  the  garrisons  of  Kartoum  and  leave  the 
other  garrisons  in  the  lurch ;  did  not  tell  him  to 
sacrifice  everything  rather  tlian  engage  in  military 
operations  against  the  Mahdi  ;  did  not  tell  him  to 
identify  his  interests  with  those  of  the  people  and 
then  to  get  away  as  best  he  could,  and  to  leave  the 
people  to  their  fate.  Had  the  Khedive  told  him  to 
do  this,  he  would  never  have  accepted  the  Governor- 
Generalship  of  the  Soudan  ;  and,  when  his  own  Gov- 
ernment suggested  this  method  as  a  way  out  of  diffi- 
culties, the  substance  of  his  numerous  replies  was, 
"  Our  relative  positions  do  not  justify  you  in  giving 
me  such  orders.  I  can  only  accept  them  as  your 
wishes  ;  and  the  duty  I  owe  to  myself,  as  a  God- 
fearing and  an  honourable  man,  prevents  me  being- 
able  to  comply  with  them." 

When  Gordon  telegraphed  to  Sir  E.  Baring,  "  You 
must  see  that  you  could  not  recall  me  nor  could  I 
possibly  obey  until  the  Cairo  employes  get  out  from 
all  the  places.  I  have  named  men  to  different  places, 
thus  involving  them  with  the  Mahdi ;  how  could  I 
look  the  world  in  the  face  if  I  abandoned  them  and 
fled  ?   As  a  gentleman  could  you  advise  this  course  ?  " 


xxxil  INTRODUCTION. 

He  really  telegraphed  a  bitter  rebuke  to  tbe  English 
Government ;  and  when  he  added,  "  It  may  have 
been  a  mistake  to  send  me  up,  but,  having  been 
done,  I  have  no  option  but  to  see  evacuation  through," 
he  merely  pointed  out  what  the  Government  already 
knew,  namely,  that  the  position  they  had  allowed 
him  to  accept  was  one  over  which  they  had  no  legal 
control,  unless  they  announced  the  annexation  of 
Egypt.  I  therefore  again  most  emphatically  repeat, 
that  Gordon  in  no  instance  disobeyed  his  Govern- 
ment, though  he  frequently  had  to  tell  them  how 
utterly  unable  he  was  to  execute  their  wishes.  The 
Governor-General  of  the  Soudan  had  definite  orders 
from  the  Khedive,  whose  servant  he  was,  and  these 
orders  could  not  be  capsized  by  the  English  Govern- 
ment, unless  the  Khedive  were  deposed  or  Egypt 
were  annexed. 

I  cannot  conclude  this  portion  of  my  subject  in  a 
better  way  than  by  quoting  what  the  Khedive  said 
to  Baron  Malortie,  after  he  had  appointed  Gordon 
Governor-General  of  the  Soudan.  Speaking  of  his 
mission,  he  remarked  :  — 

"  I  could  not  give  a  better  proof  of  my  intention  than 
by  accepting  Gordon  as  Governor-General  with  full  powers 
to  take  whatever  steps  he  may  judge  best  for  obtaining 
the  end  my  Government  and  Her  Majesty's  Government 
have  in  view.  I  could  not  do  more  than  delegate  to  Gor- 
don my  own  power  and  make  him  irresponsible  arbiter  of 
the  situation.  Whatever  he  does  will  be  well  done,  what- 
ever arrangements  he  will  make  are  accej^ted  in  advance, 
whatever  combination  he  may  decide  upon  will  be  binding 
for  us  ;  and  in  thus  placing  unlimited  trust  in  the  Pasha's 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxiii 

judgment  I  have  only  made  one  condition  :  that  he  should 
provide  for  the  safety  of  the  Europeans  and  the  Egy2^tian 
civilian  element.  He  is  now  the  supreme  master,  and  my 
best  wishes  accompany  liim  on  a  mission  of  such  gravity 
and  importance,  for  my  heart  aches  at  the  thought  of  the 
thousands  of  loyal  adherents  whom  a  false  step  may  dootn 
to  destruction.  I  have  no  doubt  that  Gordon  Pasha  will 
do  his  best  to  sacrifice  as  few  as  possible  ;  and,  should  he 
succeed,  with  God's  help,  in  accomplisliing  the  evacuation 
of  Kartoum  and  the  chief  ports  in  the  Eastern  Soudan,  he 
will  be  entitled  to  the  everlasting  gratitude  of  my  people, 
who  at  present  tremble  that  help  may  come  too  late.  To 
tell  you  that  he  will  succeed  is  more  than  I  or  any  mortal 
could  prognosticate,  for  there  are  tremendous  odds  against 
him.  But  let  us  hope  for  the  best,  and,  as  far  as  I  and 
my  Government  are  concerned,  he  shall  find  the  most 
loyal  and  energetic  support."  ® 

The  points  I  have  already  dwelt  upon  are  all- 
important  for  the  correct  interpretation  of  what 
Gordon  says  in  his  Journals.  There  are  now  two 
other  questions,  with  which  I  must  deal.  The  first 
of  these  is,  "  To  what  extent  was  H.  M.  Govern- 
ment morally  bound  to  support  Gordon  ?  "  The  an- 
swer is  to  be  found  in  the  conditions  laid  down  in 
the  Khedive's  Firman,  which  H.  M.  Government 
endorsed.  Mr.  Gladstone  admitted  as  much  in  the 
House  of  Commons  on  Feb.  14th,  when  he  said : 
"  The  direct  actions  and  direct  functions  in  which 
General  Gordon  is  immediately  connected  with  this 
Government  are,  I  think,  pretty  much  absorbed  in 
the  greater  duties  of  the  large  mission  he  has  under- 
taken under  the  immediate  authority  of  the  Egyptian 
3  From  Pall  Mall  Gazette  extra,  "  Too  Late,"  No.  14. 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

Government,  with  the  full  moral  and  political  re- 
sponsihility  of  the  Sritish  Governmenty  There- 
fore we  owed  the  same  kind  of  responsibility  to 
Gordon  as  it  owed  to  Egypt,  moral  and  political. 
Gordon  shows  in  his  Journals  what  brought  about 
our  responsibility  to  Egypt.  First,  we  were  mor- 
ally to  blame  for  General  Hicks's  defeat,  for  had  we 
prevented  the  Fellaheen  conscripts  being  dragged 
in  chains  from  their  homes,  and  sent  up  to  recruit 
Hicks's  army.  Hicks  would  not  have  left  Kartoum 
and  his  feroops  would  not  have  been  annihilated. 
Through  this  disaster  we  became  morally  responsible 
for  the  extended  influence  of  the  Mahdi,  who,  pre- 
vious to  crushing  a  huge  army,  had  merely  defeated 
small  detachments  of  troops  far  inferior  to  his  own. 
It  was  the  crushing  of  Hicks's  force  which  led  the 
Mahdi  to  put  forth  his  agents  in  all  parts  of  the 
Soudan,  and  thus  to  convert  a  trumpery  local  rising 
into  a  wide- spreading  rebellion.  So  much  for  our 
responsibility  from  a  moral  point  of  view.  Our 
political  responsibilit}^  began  with  the  order  to  aban- 
don the  Soudan  (which  was  unnecessary  interference 
on  our  part,  inasmuch  as  the  Soudan  was  practically 
lost),  and  was  followed  up  by  our  objection  to  the 
despatch  of  Egyptian  or  Turkish  troops,  our  sending 
Gordon,  and  our  operations  for  the  relief  of  Tokar 
and  Sinkat.  Right  through  we  forced  the  hand  of 
the  Khedive.  Why  did  we  not  go  one  step  further 
and  force  him  to  cancel  the  Firman  by  which  he 
appointed  Gordon  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan  ? 
Had  we  done  this  Gordon  would  have  reverted  to 
his  original  position  as  reporter  to  Her  Majesty's 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxv 

Government,  or  he  could  have  endeavoured  to  leave 
Kartoum  at  once,  as  his  responsibilities  towards  the 
people  of  the  Soudan  would  have  ceased.  Until  we 
did  this  we  were  as  responsible  to  him,  morally  and 
politically,  as  we  were  to  the  Egyptian  Government. 
A  little  decision  here  might  have  spared  to  us  Gor- 
don, Colonel  Stewart,  and  Mr.  Power ;  might  have 
prevented  the  loss  of  thousands  of  other  lives  ;  might 
have  saved  us  millions  of  money. 

I  am  only  endeavouring  to  place  Gordon's  situa- 
tion and  action  in  a  fair  light,  and  I  cannot  do  this 
without  pointing  out  how  greatly  England  has  been 
to  blame  in  not  accepting  a  responsibility  for  which 
she  made  herself  liable.  This  brings  me  directly  to 
the  second  question,  which  deals  with  the  reason 
why  Gordon,  with  the  promised  support  of  Egypt 
and  England,  failed  not  only  to  restore  order  to  the 
Soudan,  but  even  to  extricate  the  beleaguered  gar- 
risons. Volumes  have  been  already  written  on  this 
subject,  and  there  are  probably  volumes  yet  to  come, 
particularly  those  representing  the  Journal  of  Gor- 
don and  Colonel  Stewart  which  was  captured  by  a 
treacherous  enemy,  and  is  now  supposed  to  be  in  the 
hands  of  Mahomet  Achmet,  the  Mahdi.  I  will  con- 
tent myself  then  with  an  endeavour  to  supply  what 
I  feel  is  the  substance  of  the  answer  to  be  found, 
in  this  missing  Journal,  to  the  question  I  have 
raised.  Gordon  was  constantly  thwarted  and  never 
supj)orted  is  the  summary  of  a  whole  which  I  will 
give  as  briefly  as  I  can  in  detail. 

(1)  Gordon   wished   to   visit   the   Mahdi   if    he 


xxxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

thought  fit,  but  Sir  E.  Baring  gave  him  a  positive 
order  from  Her  Majesty's  Government  that  he  was 
on  no  account  to  do  so.  Of  course,  as  I  have  al- 
ready shown,  Gordon,  in  his  position  as  Governor- 
General,  need  not  have  accepted  this  as  an  order, 
but  he  was,  as  he  always  has  been,  most  anxious  to 
conform  to  the  wishes  or  desires  expressed  by  Her 
Majesty's  Government,  when  those  wishes  affected 
only  a  point  of  judgment,  and  not  a  point  of  duty  or 
a  point  of  honour. 

(2)  Gordon  j^roposed  to  go  direct  from  Kartoum 
to  the  Bahr  Gazelle  and  Equatorial  Provinces,  but 
Her  Majesty's  Government  refused  to  sanction  his 
proceeding  beyond  Kartoum. 

(3)  Gordon  desired  3000  Turkish  troops,  in  Brit- 
ish j)ay,  to  be  sent  to  Suakin,  but  Her  Majesty's 
Government,  advised  by  Sir  E.  Baring,  who  dis- 
approved of  the  measure,  declined  to  send  these 
troops. 

(4)  Gordon,  being  convinced  that  some  govern- 
ment was  essential  for  the  safety  of  the  Soudan, 
suggested  the  appointment  of  Zubair  as  his  successor, 
and  gave  the  most  cogent  reasons  why  it  was  ab- 
solutely necessary  for  the  accomplishment  of  his 
mission  that  the  appointment  should  be  made.  He 
reiterated  his  request  over  and  over  again,  from 
February  to  December.  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment would  not  permit  the  Khedive  to  make  this 
appointment. 

(5)  Gordon  requested  that  in  the  interests  of 
England,  Egypt,  and  the  Soudan,  he  should  be 
provided  with  a  Firman  which  recognised  a  moral 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxvii 

control  and  suzerainty  over  the  Soudan.     This  was 
peremptorily  refused. 

(6)  Gordon  asked  for  Indian  Moslem  troops  to 
be  sent  to  Wady  Haifa.     They  were  refused  him. 

(7)  In  March  Gordon  desired  100  British  troops 
to  be  sent  to  Assouan  or  to  Wady  Haifa.  In  making 
known  this  desire  to  Her  Majesty's  Government,  Sir 
E.  Baring  said  he  would  not  risk  sending  so  small 
a  body,  and  the  principal  medical  officer  said  the 
climate  would  exercise  an  injurious  effect  on  the 
troops.     These  troops  were  not  sent. 

(8)  Gordon,  for  the  sake  of  everything  and  every- 
body concerned,  showed  that  the  Mahdi's  power 
must  be  smashed.  Her  Majesty's  Government  de- 
clined to  assist  in,  or  even  to  countenance,  the 
process. 

(9)  Gordon,  in  a  series  of  eleven  telegrams,  ex- 
plained his  difficulties,  and  said  that  if  Her  Majes- 
ty's Government  would  not  send  British  troops  to 
Wady  Haifa,  an  adjvitant  to  inspect  Dongola,  and 
then  open  up  the  Berber-Suakin  route  by  Indian 
Moslem  troops,  they  would  probably  have  to  decide 
between  Zubair  or  the  Mahdi,  and  he  concluded 
these  telegrams  by  saying  he  would  do  his  best  to 
carry  out  his  instructions,  hut  felt  convinced  he  ivould 
he  caught  in  Kartoum.  Sir  Evelyn  Baring,  in  his 
reply  to  these  telegrams,  recommended  Gordon  to 
reconsider-  the  ivhole  question  carefully,  and  then  to 
state  in  one  telegram  lohat  he  recommended  ! 

(10)  Gordon  telegraphed:  "J'Ae  comhination  of 
Zubair  and  myself  is  an  absolute  necessity  for  suc- 
cess.     To  do  any  good  tee  must  he  together,  and 


xxxviii  INTRODUCTION. 

that  without  delay  ;''^  and  he  supplemented  this 
by  another  telegram,  saying  :  "  Believe  me,  /  am 
right ;  and  do  not  delay. ^^  The  combination  was 
not  permitted. 

(11)  Sir  Evelyn  Baring  telegraphed  to  Lord 
Granville  that  General  Gordon  had  on  several  occa- 
sions pressed  for  200  British  troops  to  be  sent  to 
Wady  Haifa,  but  that  he  (Baring)  did  not  think  it 
desirable  to  comply  with  the  request. 

(12)  Gordon  desired  a  British  diversion  at  Ber- 
ber, but  Sir  Evelyn  Baring  replied  that  there  was 
no  intention  to  send  an  English  force  to  Berber. 

(13)  Gordon,  foiled  on  every  point,  telegraphed 
a  graceful  adieu  to  Her  Majesty's  Government. 
Then  came  the  fall  of  Berber,  upon  which  Sir 
Evelyn  Baring  at  once  telegraphed  to  Lord  Gran- 
ville that  it  had  now  hecome  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance not  only  to  open  the  road  between  Suakin  and 
Berber.^  hut  "  to  come  to  terms  loith  the  tribes  between 
Berber  and  Ivartoum  ;  "  and  Lord  Granville  tele- 
graphed to  Sir  E.  Baring  that  '"''General  Gordon 
had  several  times  stiggested  a  movement  on  Wady 
Haifa.,  ivhich  might  support  him  by  threatening  an 
advance  on  Dongola.,  and.,  under  the  present  cir- 
cumstances at  Berber.,  this  might  be  found  advanta- 
geous ''"'!! 

After  this,  may  we  not  well  echo  Gordon's  sen- 
timents, "  What  a  farce  if  it  did  not  deal  with 
men's  lives  ?  "  If  Gordon,  instead  of  being  thioarted., 
had  only  been  not  supported.,  how  different  might 
have  been  the  result  of  his  mission  to  the  Soudan  ! 
Indeed,  one  may  say  how  different  woidd  have  been 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxix 

the  result !  for  Gordon  has  practically  said  this,  and 
he  was  a  competent  and  a  reliable  judge.  If  England 
and  Egypt  had  only  said,  "  We  will  give  you  no 
help  at  all ;  do  what  you  can  with  the  material  you 
have  about  you,  and  do  not  refer  to  us  until  you 
have  succeeded,  or  until  you  have  failed,"  I  con- 
fidently believe  Gordon  would  have  at  least  relieved 
the  beleaguered  garrisons  of  the  Soudan,  and  would 
have  sent  down  all  who  wished  to  leave  the  country. 
His  weakness  was  that  of  trustfulness,  the  beset- 
ting weakness  of  an  honourable  man  :  it  had  stood 
him  in  good  stead  through  his  campaigns  in  China, 
and  through  his  previous  operations  in  the  Soudan ; 
through  terrible  sufferings  which  had  often  made 
him  wish  for  death.  Then  he  trusted  enemies,  and 
they  always  enabled  him  to  save  life.  Now  he 
trusted  friends,  and  they  only  enabled  him  to  die. 

"  The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them, 
The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones." 

Gordon  tells  us  plainly  in  his  Journals  how  great 
is  the  evil  done  by  the  policy  of  Her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment, and  for  how  long  that  evil  will  live  when 
the  Government  is  dead.  Is  it  not  possible  to  avert 
something  of  what  is  about  to  happen  ?  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government  are,  I  believe,  beginning  to  realise 
how  thoroughly  correct  Gordon  was  in  his  views, 
and  how  mistaken  they  were  in  not  following  his 
advice  at  the  time  he  gave  it.  At  all  events,  after 
he  was  dead  they  expressed  their  intention  of  doing 
much  he  recommended  while  he  lived.  They  have 
been  always  very  late  :  too  late  to  save  Gordon's  life, 


xl  INTRODUCTION. 

and  too  late  to  save  the  lives  of  many  thousands. 
May  they  not  be  yet  in  time  to  prevent  some  of  the 
evil  that  must  live  after  them?  I  think  Gordon 
tells  them  in  his  Journals  they  may,  and  I  think  he 
also  tells  them  how.  It  is  impossible  to  read  care- 
fully what  he  says  without  feeling  that  he  did  not 
expect  to  live  long,  and  that  he  had  a  distinct  pre- 
sentiment he  would  die  at  Kartoum.  At  all  events 
there  is  a  strong  undercurrent  of  this  presentiment 
all  through,  and  it  even  rises  to  the  surface  every 
now  and  then  when  he  appears  to  be  taking  a  hope- 
ful and  almost  a  cheerful  view  of  the  situation.  At 
times  it  carries  all  before  it,  as  for  example  when  he 
emphasises  the  possibility  of  the  fall  of  Kartoum 
under  the  nose  of  the  expedition,  and  again  in  the 
words  with  which  he  concludes  his  sixth  and  last 
volume ;  but  then,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  often 
quite  out  of  sight,  especially  at  such  times  as  he  is 
discussing  his  position  as  Governor-General,  and 
turning  over  in  his  mind  the  expediency  of  appoint- 
ing Lord  Wolseley  or  Sir  Evelyn  Baring  as  his  suc- 
cessor. But,  whether  on  the  surface  or  deep  down, 
I  think  it  is  always  there,  and  I  feel  sure  that  some 
of  his  numerous  efforts  at  a  solution  of  the  Soudan 
problem  were  intended  as  final  instructions  for  Her 
Majesty's  Government,  to  be  read  after  his  death  or 
after  the  fall  of  Kartoum.  The  days  of  prophecy 
are  gone,  and  I  do  not  at  all  wish  to  place  Gordon 
in  the  light  of  the  ancient  orthodox  and  professional 
seer,  but  in  considering  his  career  one  cannot  avoid 
being  struck  by  the  remarkable  way  in  which  the 
lost  gift  of  prophecy  has  been  replaced  by  the  power 


INTRODUCTION.  xli 

of  combining  knowledge  with  judg-ment.  It  would 
be  well  if  Her  Majesty's  Government  would  bear 
this  in  mind,  and  lay  down  a  distinct  line  of  policy 
and  action  with  regard  to  the  Soudan,  which  should 
be  based  upon  what  Gordon  recommends.  The  re- 
call of  the  troops  from  the  Soudan  may  have  been 
necessary  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  moment,  or 
it  may  not ;  but  it  is  a  pity  it  did  not  precede  Lord 
Wolseley's  letter  to  Cassim  el  Mus  Pasha :  — 

"  We  mean  to  destroy  the  power  of  Mohammed  Achmet 
at  Kartoum,  no  matter  how  long  it  may  take  us  to  do  so ; 
you  know  Gordon  Pasha's  countrymen  are  not  likely  to 
turn  hack  from  any  enterprise  they  have  begun  until  it 
has  been  fully  accomplished.  When  that  happy  event 
takes  place  I  hope  to  be  able  to  establish  you  amongst 
your  own  people,  and  that  you  and  all  others  will  realise 
that  the  English  natio7i  does  not  forget  those  who  serve  it 
faithfully.^''  ^ 

General  Gordon's  Journals  are  sufficiently  charac- 
teristic to  enable  those  who  read  them  with  care  to 
know  their  author  perfectly.  The  first  volume  is 
alone  a  very  complete  introduction,  in  which  each 
succeeding  page  brings  you  to  a  closer  intimacy.  If 
a  friendship  is  not  established  before  reaching  the 
sixth,  then  all  that  is  noble  and  chivalrous  in  man 
can  have  no  charm  for  the  reader.  Examples  of  his 
rare  genius,  his  nobility,  his  honesty,  and  his  mar- 
vellous energy  are  to  be  found  throughout,  but,  in 
pointing  out  a  few  characteristics,  I  will  confine  my- 
self to  the  first  volume,  as  I  propose  to  refer  chiefly 
to  special  points  of  military  and  political  interest  in 
the  others. 

8  Egypt,  No.  9,  End.  3,  43. 


xlii  INTRODUCTION. 

In  this  first  volume,  then,  we  have  an  interesting 
instance  of  Gordon's  nobility,  when  he  declines  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  certain  doubtful  proposals 
made  by  the  apostate  Europeans  in  the  Mahdi's 
camp,  for  he  declares  "treachery  never  succeeds; 
and  it  is  better  to  fail  with  clean  hands  than  to  be 
mixed  ujd  with  dubious  acts  and  dubious  men.  May 
be  it  is  better  to  fall  with  honour  than  to  gain  the 
victory  with  dishonour,  and  in  this  view  the  Ulemas 
are  agreed,  for  they  will  have  nought  to  do  with  the 
proposals  of  treachery." 

The  generosity  of  his  feeling  towards  the  enemy 
is  showTi  when  he  says :  "  I  do  not  call  our  enemy 
rebels,  for  it  is  a  vexed  question  whether  we  are  not 
rebels,  seeing  I  hold  the  Firman  restoring  the  Sou- 
dan to  its  chiefs."  His  consideration  is  apparent  in 
his  regret  at  not  being  more  considerate ;  and  his 
tolerance  in  the  desire  to  spare  even  the  lives  of 
traitors. 

His  views  on  hypocrisy  are  humourously  expressed 
when  he  is  speaking  of  the  Mahdi's  trick  of  bring- 
ing tears  to  his  eyes  by  the  use  of  pepper  under  his 
finger-nails,  and,  as  tears  are  considered  a  proof  of 
sincerity,  he  recommends  the  recipe  to  Cabinet  Min- 
isters who  wish  to  justify  some  job. 

His  severity  is  evident, in  his  remarks  on  diplo- 
matists, whom  he  considers  most  unsatisfactory  men 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  in  their  official  capacity  ; 
and  his  irritability  peeps  out  when  he  says :  "  Eger- 
ton  must  have  considered  I  was  a  complete  idiot  to 
have  needed  permission  to  contract  with  tribes  to 
escort  down  the  refugees.     I  hope  he  will  get  pro- 


INTRODUCTION.  xliii 

moted,  and  will  not  be  blamed  for  overstraining  his 
instructions." 

His  religious  earnestness  is  everywhere  apparent, 
and  he  delights  in  endeavours  to  interpret  Scriptural 
passages,  especially  such  as  are  more  or  less  para- 
doxical. 

As  an  example  of  his  humility  I  select  the  passage 
where  he  says :  "  If  we  will  be  with  our  Master  we 
must  be  like  him,  who  from  His  birth  to  His  death 
may  be  said  to  have  been  utterly  miserable  as  far  as 
things  in  this  world  are  concerned.  Yet  I  kick  at 
the  least  obstacle  to  my  will."  His  desire  to  help 
every  one  is  to  be  seen  on  almost  every  page,  and 
his  forethought,  energy  and  judgment  are  also  every- 
where ajjparent.  His  notions  of  chivalry  do  not 
permit  him  to  countenance  the  distribution  of  hon- 
ours to  men  who  only  do  what  he  considers  to  be 
their  duty,  and  he  does  not  approve  of  the  Victoria 
Cross  being  given  in  cases  of  noblesse  oblige.  His 
determination  often  prompts  him  to  speak  very 
plainly :  "  If  you  remove  me  from  being  Governor- 
General,  then  all  responsibility  is  off  me  ;  but  if  you 
keep  me  as  Governor-General,  then  I  will  at  the  cost 
of  my  commission  in  Her  Majesty's  Government 
see  all  refugees  out  of  this  country."  His  satire  is 
generally  severe,  but  there  is  nearly  always  a  cheer- 
ful or  a  good  -  natured  ring  in  it.  The  following  is 
a  fair  example  :  — 

"  I  am  sure  I  should  like  that  fellow  .  .  .  ,  there  is 
a  big-hearted  jocularity  about  his  communications,  and  I 
should  think  the  cares  of  life  sat  easily  on  him.  He 
wishes  to  Imow  exactly,   '  day,  hour,  and   minute,'  that 


xliv  INTRODUCTION. 

I  expect  to  be  in  difficulties  as  to  provisions  and  ammu- 
nition. 

"  Now  I  really  think  if  .  .  .  was  to  tm-n  over  the  '  ar- 
chives '  (a  delicious  word  of  lus  office) ,  he  would  see  we 
had  been  in  difficulties  for  provisions  for  some  months. 
It  is  as  a  man  on  the  bank,  having  seen  liis  friend  in 
river  already  bobbed  down  two  or  three  tmies,  haUs,  '  I 
say,  old  fellow,  let  us  know  when  we  are  to  tlu-ow  you  the 
life-buoy  ;  I  know  you  have  bobbed  down  two  or  three 
times,  but  it  is  a  pity  to  throw  you  the  life-buoy  imtil  you 
really  are  in  extremis,  and  I  want  to  know  exactly,  for  I 
am  a  man  brought  up  in  a  school  of  exactitude,  though  I 
did  forget  (?)  to  date  my  June  telegram  about  that  Be- 
douin escort  contract.''  "  ^ 

He  is  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  never  hesitates 
to  rebuke  laxness  in  others.  "  If  Abdel  Kader  is 
at  Kassala,"  he  says,  "  what  on  earth  are  our  peo- 
ple about  not  to  tell  me !  for  of  course  I  could  help 
liim.  We  seem  to  have  lost  our  heads  in  the  Intelli- 
gence Department,  though  it  costs  enough  money." 

His  bluntness  and  honesty  are  often  combined 
with  subtle  humour,  and  an  excellent  notion  of  all 
three  may  be  gathered  from  the  last  words  in  this 
volume  of  the  Journals  :  — 

"  As  for  '  evacuation,'  it  is  one  thing ;  as  for  '  ratting 
out^  it  is  another.  I  am  quite  of  advice  as  to  No.  1  (as 
we  have  not  the  decision  to  keep  the  country),  but  I  wiU 
be  no  party  to  No.  2  (this  'rat'  business),  1st,  because 
it  is  dishonourable  ;  2nd,  because  it  is  not  possible  (which 
will  have  more  weight)  ;  therefore,  if  it  is  going  to  be 
No.  2,  the  troops  had  better  not  come  beyond  Berber  till 
the  question  of  what  will  be  done  is  settled." 


INTRODUCTION.  xlv 

The  interest  of  the  second  volume  is  great  from  a 
military  jDoint  of  view,  but  its  value  is  somewhat  les- 
sened by  the  fact  that  General  Gordon's  instruc- 
tions and  suggestions  were  based  on  the  assumption 
that  the  relieving  force  would  reach  him  some  two 
months  earlier  than  it  did.  During  those  two 
months  the  conditions  around  Kartoum  were  mate- 
rially changed,  and  with  these  altering  conditions 
General  Gordon  had  to  reconsider  many  of  the  ma- 
noeuvres he  at  first  suggested.  The  political  interest 
chiefly  consists  in  the  strong  recommendation  that 
the  country  should  be  given  to  the  Turks,  or  that 
Zubair  should  be  established  as  Governor-General 
at  Kartoum,  and  that  the  Equator  should  be  given 
to  himself.  "  I  will  (Z>.  F.)  keep  it,"  he  says,  "  from 
Zubair ; "  that  is  to  say,  "  I  will  guard  the  country 
against  all  slave-hunters."  In  this  volume  General 
Gordon  declines  the  imputation  that  the  Expedition- 
ary Force  has  come  for  him,  and  shows  how,  to  save 
our  national  honour,  it  had  come  to  extricate  the 
garrisons  of  the  Soudan.  Of  the  troubles  these  gar- 
risons were  causing  him  we  get  a  fair  notion,  but  his 
complaints  seem  to  be  only  a  safety-valve  for  his  hu- 
mour. He  knows  the  men  about  him  are  treacherous 
and  liars,  but  he  almost  seeks  excuses  for  them  when 
he  says  :  "  Man  is  essentially  a  treacherous  animal ; 
and  although  the  Psalmist  said  in  his  haste  '  all  men 
are  liars,'  I  think  he  might  have  said  the  same  at 
his  leisure."  This  volume  concludes  with  a  new  ef- 
fort to  solve  the  Soudan  problem  by  suggesting  that 
the  Khedive  shall  replace  him  at  once  by  appointing 
Abdel  Kader  Governor-General. 


xlvl  INTRODUCTION. 

This  solution  is  fully  discussed  in  the  opening  of 
Volume  III.  It  is  not  one  in  which  General  Gor- 
don will  participate,  but  it  may  prevent  his  being 
antagonistic  to  the  relieving  force.  Unless  he  is  de- 
posed, nothing  will  induce  him  to  leave  the  Soudan 
unless  he  can  extricate  the  garrisons.  In  removing 
him  from  the  Governor-Generalship  and  in  replac- 
ing him  by  Abdel  Kader,  the  Government  would  be 
utilising  a  man  whom  they  could  mould  to  their  own 
shape.  Of  course  this  solution  is,  as  General  Gor- 
don says,  in  some  degree  "  a  trap,"  but  it  recom- 
mends itself  as  the  only  way  out  of  the  difficulty, 
if  the  Government  have  decided  to  abandon  the  gar- 
risons. 

The  only  creditable  solution,  General  Gordon  stiU 
affirms,  is  to  be  found  in  handing  the  country  over 
to  the  Turks  with  a  subsidy  or  a  sum  down ;  and  he 
supplements  his  argument  by  a  programme  showing 
how  by  this  action  Her  Majesty's  troops  coidd  leave 
the  Soudan  with  honour  before  January  1885.  "  I 
think  this  would  read  well  in  history,"  he  says. 
"  Her  Majesty's  Government,  having  accepted  du- 
ties in  Egypt,  and  consequently  in  the  Soudan,  sent 
up  a  force  to  restore  tranquillity,  which  having  been 
done.  Her  Majesty's  Government  handed  over  the 
government  of  the  Soudan  to  the  Sultan."  The  ne- 
cessity for  this  solution  is  the  result,  in  General 
Gordon's  opinion,  of  the  indecisions  of  Her  Majes- 
ty's Goverment,  and  he  enumerates  with  great  care 
the  causes  which  have  hampered  his  action  and  thus 
required  the  despatch  of  a  relieving  force.  This 
volume  is  perhaps  more  cheerful  in  its  tone  than  any 


INTRODUCTION.  xlvii 

of  the  others.  The  presentiment  that  the  expedition 
will  be  too  late  to  prevent  disaster  is  rarely  evident, 
and  the  advance  of  the  Mahdi  promises  to  decide, 
at  all  events,  the  fate  of  those  who  are  shut  up  in 
Kartoum.  "  A  month  will  see  him  defeated  or  vic- 
torious, as  God  may  will  it,"  and  with  this  philo- 
sophical consolation  General  Gordon  ceases  to  dis- 
cuss the  future  of  the  Soudan,  and  begins  an  inter- 
esting detailed  account  of  the  offensive  and  defensive 
manoeuvres  that  are  taking  place  in  and  around 
Kartoum. 

In  the  foiu-th  volume,  the  shortest  of  all,  General 
Gordon  continues  his  narrative,  and  shows  how  nu- 
merous and  how  wearisome  are  the  Internal  troubles 
with  which  he  has  to  contend  at  Kartoum.  Treach- 
ery is  silently  at  work,  while  indolence,  selfishness, 
and  dishonesty  makes  those  who  are  not  treacherous 
almost  useless.  He  is  the  referee  of  every  petty 
dispute,  as  much  as  he  is  chief  justice,  administrator, 
and  commander-in-chief.  The  people  demand  his 
decision  on  every  point,  j)olitical  or  personal,  and 
wish  to  leave  it  to  him  to  do  or  not  to  do,  irre- 
spective of  his  knowing  anything  of  the  merits  of 
the  case  they  bring  before  him.  His  counsellors 
say :  "  Do  what  you  think  right,  you  will  do  better 
than  we  ;  "  and  his  reflection  is,  "  I,  poor  devil,  do 
not  know  where  to  turn."  Then  in  sorrow  he  ex- 
claims, "  Oh,  our  Government,  our  Government ! 
What  has  it  not  to  answer  for  ?  Not  to  me,  but  to 
these  poor  peoj)le.  I  declare  if  I  thought  the  town 
wished  the  Mahdi  I  would  give  it  up :  so  much  do  I 


xlviii  INTRODUCTION. 

respect  free  will."  It  is  doubtless  these  internal 
troubles  which  lead  him  to  say  :  "  It  is  of  course  on 
the  cards  that  Kartoum  is  taken  under  the  nose  of 
the  Expeditionary  Force,  which  will  be  just  too  late^ 

In  Volume  V.  which  begins  on  the  first  day  of  the 
Arab  New  Year,  the  arrival  of  the  Mahdi  at  Om- 
durman  is  reported.  The  treachery  referred  to  in 
the  previous  volume  had  led  General  Gordon  to  make 
numerous  arrests,  a  necessity  he  deplored  ;  but  these 
arrests  in  all  probability  saved  the  fall  of  Kartoum 
on  Oct.  21st,  for  the  Mahdi  had  evidently  specu- 
lated on  either  a  rising  in  the  town  on  that  day  or 
on  the  gates  being  opened  to  him  by  some  of  those 
who  were  then  imprisoned.  On  this  day  Gordon 
also  received  the  news  of  the  Treaty  concluded  be- 
tween King  John  of  Abyssinia  and  Admiral  Sir 
William  Hewitt,  and  his  anger  at  the  injustice  of 
such  a  treaty  is  as  apparent  as  is  the  bitterness  of 
his  satire ;  throughout  the  whole  volume,  indeed,  he 
cannot  get  away  from  this  subject,  and  though  the 
frequent  effort  to  dismiss  it  in  disgust  from  his  mind 
is  evident,  he  continually  reverts  to  it.  He  considers 
it  discreditable,  and  does  not  hesitate  to  say  so: 
moreover,  he  contends  that  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris, 
and  also  by  that  of  Berlin,  the  integrity  of  the  Otto- 
man Dominion  is  guaranteed  by  the  powers,  and  that 
it  is  therefore  a  farce  to  say  Egypt  ceded  Kassala. 

His  views  on  the  whole  policy  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government  are  summed  up  in  an  imaginary  scene 
in  the  House  of  Lords :  "  The  noble  Marquis  asked 
what  the  policy  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  was  ? 


INTRODUCTION.  xlix 

It  was  as  if  he  asked  the  policy  of  a  log  floating 
down  stream  :  it  was  going  to  sea,  as  any  one  with 
an  ounce  of  brains  could  see.  Well,  that  was  the 
policy  of  it,  only  it  was  a  decided  policy  and  a 
straight-forward  one  to  drift  along  and  take  advan- 
tage of  every  circumstance.  His  Lordship  depre- 
cated the  frequent  questioning  on  subjects  which 
his  Lordship  had  said  he  knew  nothing  about,  and 
further  did  not  care  to  know  anything  about." 

Fielding,  had  he  been  alive,  would  have  envied 
Gordon  the  completeness  of  this  humourous  satire. 

The  results  of  the  policy,  as  far  as  it  has  gone,  he 
shows  to  have  been  the  loss  of  some  80,000  lives, 
and  the  effectual  restoration  of  the  slave-trade  and 
of  slave-hunting,  "  a  miserable  end  to  diplomacy, 
when  it  would  have  been  so  easy  in  1880  to  have 
settled  the  Soudan  with  decency  and  quiet,  giving 
up  Kordofan,  Darfour,  the  Bahr  Gazelle,  and  the 
Equator." 

In  the  latter  part  of  Volume  V.,  but  especially  in 
the  early  part  of  Volume  VI.,  Gordon  fully  realises 
the  "  Abbas  "  catastrophe.  He  knows  Stewart  and 
Power  are  dead.  There  is  no  expression  of  personal 
regret,  though  he  is  "  sorry  for  their  friends."  He 
loved  them  both,  and  he  pays  the  highest  tribute  he 
can  to  their  merits,  but  he  is  sure  that  in  their  pres- 
ent they  are  happier  than  in  their  past.  Moreover, 
he  had  done  his  best,  for  every  precaution  human 
foresight  could  conceive  he  had  taken  :  having  done 
this,  the  rest  was  in  the  hands  of  God  and  the  dis- 
aster was  "  ordained."  But  these  views  do  not  pre- 
d 


1  INTRODUCTION. 

vent  him  from  courting  all  enquiry,  and  he  even 
holds  a  court-martial  on  himself.  His  verdict  is, 
that  if  the  "  Abbas  "  was  attacked  and  overpow- 
ered, he  is  to  hlame  ;  but  that  if  she  was  captured 
by  treachery,  or  if  she  struck  a  rock,  he  is  not  to 
hlame.  In  the  one  case,  he  should  have  foreseen  the 
chance  and  prevented  her  going ;  in  the  other  he 
could  foresee  nothing.  It  was  out  of  his  power  to 
avert  treachery,  and  the  "  Abbas  "  drew  under  two 
feet  of  water  and  was  accompanied  by  two  sailing 
boats. 

He  explains  with  care  and  clearness  why  Stewart 
and  Power  left  him  ;  they  went  of  their  free  will, 
not  by  his  order,  for  he  would  not  "  put  them  in  any 
danger  in  which  he  was  not  himself."  If  they  went 
they  did  him  a  service,  for  they  could  telegraph  his 
views ;  if  they  stayed  they  could  not  help  him. 
They  could  go  in  honour,  for  they  had  promised  the 
people  nothing  ;  he  could  not  go  in  honour,  for  he 
had  promised  them  himself.  If  Gordon  were  alive, 
and  thought  any  one  could  misinterpret  what  he 
says,  and  thus  cast  a  slur  on  the  memory  of  either 
Stewart  or  Power,  he  would  be  greatly  pained.  His 
love  and  admiration  for  them  both  was  evident ;  and 
he  knew  that,  had  it  been  their  duty  to  remain,  they 
would  have  stayed  to  die  with  him  at  Kartoum.  "  If 
Zubair  had  been  sent  in  March  when  I  asked  for 
him,  we  would  not  have  lost  Berber,  and  would  never 
have  wanted  an  expedition,"  and  if  Berber  had  not 
fallen,  Stewart  and  Power  would  have  been  alive. 
Zubair  had  been  his  almost  first  request,  and  he 
never  ceases  to  reo:ret  that  one  who  had  devoted  his 


INTRODUCTION.  ll 

life  to  the  Soudan  should  not  have  been  allowed  to 
comprehend  its  requirements  better  than  those  who 
sat  in  Downing  Sti-eet. 

Within  a  week  of  beginning  this  volume  of  his 
Journal,  Gordon  expected  the  town  of  Kartoum  to 
fall ;  the  recovery  of  an  enormous  quantity  of  stolen 
biscuit  enabled  him  to  hold  his  own  for  more  than 
another  month.  During  this  time  a  notion  of  his 
troubles  may  be  gathered  from  what  he  says  up  to 
December  14th,  —  his  real  suffering  must  for  ever 
remain  unknown.  That  it  depended  upon  the  suf- 
fering of  others  we  may  feel  assured ;  he  never  knew 
what  it  was  to  feel  for  himself.  He  felt  for  his 
country ;  he  felt  for  all  he  tried  to  help,  and  if  he 
was  among  such  as  were  killed  first,  his  dying 
thought  would  have  been,  "  What  is  to  be  the  fu- 
ture of  all  I  leave  behind?" 

In  his  Journals  —  his  last  words  — those  familiar 
with  his  character  and  life  will  see  Charles  Gordon 
true  to  himself  to  the  very  end.  They  will  see  in 
him  the  same  ardent  passion  for  justice  and  for 
truth  ;  the  same  scorn  for  wrong  doing  and  deceit ; 
the  same  gentle  pity  for  the  sufferings  of  all,  and 
the  same  mercy  and  forgiveness  for  his  foes ;  and 
with  all  this  is  combined  the  perfection  of  humility 
and  the  sense  of  imperfection.  There  is  no  impa- 
tience, save  with  those  who  wronged  his  honour  and 
the  poor  people  for  whom  he  died ;  there  is  no  un- 
rest, for  he  neared  that  "  life  of  action  "  for  which 
he  had  long  yearned ;  there  is  no  sorrow,  no  dark 
doubt,  for  Charles  Gordon  was  with  his  God. 

A.  EGMONT  HAKE. 


GENERAL  GORDON'S  POSITION  AT  KARTOUM. 


Only  a  very  few  words  on  my  part  are  necessary  in 
laying  these  Journals  before  the  public. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  1884,  General  Gordon  arrived  at 
Brussels  from  the  Holy  Land,  and  at  once  commenced  his 
arrangements  with  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians 
to  proceed  to  the  Congo- 
After  visiting  England  once  or  twice,  he  left  this  coun- 
try for  Belgium  and  the  Congo  on  the  morning  of  the  16th 
January. 

On  the  17th  January  he  was  recalled  by  telegram.  He 
reached  London  on  the  morning  of  the  18th,  and  was  on 
his  road  to  Kartoum  upon  that  evening. 

At  this  time  he  felt  quite  confident  of  success,  his  in- 
structions being  that,  by  restoring  the  ancient  families, 
whose  territories  had  been  seized  by  the  Egyptian  author- 
ities, to  their  former  power,  he  would  be  able  to  extricate 
the  Egyptian  garrisons  and  civil  employes  with  their  fam- 
ilies, and  remove  them  to  Lower  Egypt  without  difficulty. 
During  the  voyage,  however,  from  Brindisi  to  Port 
Said  he  prepared  a  Report,  or  Memorandum,  dated  22nd 
January,  in  which,  reviewing  these  instructions,  he  drew 
attention  to  some  of  the  difficulties  and  complications 
which  were  likely  to  arise  in  carrying  out  the  policy  of 
Her  Majesty's  Government,  and  asked  for  their  support 
and  consideration  in  case  of  his  being  unable  to  fulfil  their 
expectations  with  exactness ;  and  Colonel  Stewart,  in  his 


GOftDON'S  POSITION  AT  KARTOUM.         liii 

separate  observations  of  the  same  date,  pointed  out  that, 
in  view  of  eventualities  for  which  it  would  be  impossible 
to  provide,  the  wisest  course  was  "  to  rely  on  the  discretion 
of  General  Gordon  and  his  knowledge  of  the  country." 

General  Gordon,  it  will  be  seen,  accepted  —  and  dis- 
claimed the  right  to  express  any  opinion  of  his  own  upon 
it  —  the  policy  of  leaving  the  Soudan.  It  appeared  to 
him  then  that  to  reconquer  that  country  and  restore  it  to 
the  Egyptian  Goverimient  without  securities  for  a  just  and 
honest  administration  would  be  iniquitous  ;  that,  on  the 
other  hand,  to  secure  that  object  would  involve  an  expen- 
diture of  time  and  money  which  could  not  be  afforded, 
and  consequently  he  then  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Soudan  might  properly  be  restored  to  independence,  and 
left  to  itself. 

It  will  be  seen,  however,  that  he  did  not,  after  his  re- 
turn to  the  Soudan,  remain  long  of  that  opinion.  His 
heart  warmed  at  once  to  the  people  whom  he  had  faith- 
fully governed,  and  whose  affections  he  found,  or  at  all 
events  believed,  were  constant  to  him. 

It  is  necessary  here  to  explain  that  General  Gordon  had 
not  intended  to  go  to  Cairo,  but  to  proceed  via  Suakin 
and  Berber.  On  the  invitation,  however,  of  Sir  Evelyn 
Baring,  he  went  to  Cairo  and  accepted  at  the  hands  of 
the  Khedive  a  firman  appointing  him  Governor-General 
of  the  Soudan,  without  which  he  could  have  exercised  no 
control  over  the  Egyptian  authorities  employed  in  that 
province. 

It  was  no  part  of  General  Gordon's  character  to  form  a 
definite  opinion  from  imperfectly  known  facts,  and  to 
adhere  obstinately  to  that  opinion,  notwithstanding  the 
evidence  of  altered  circumstances  and  new  elements. 

We  need  not  therefore  be  surprised  to  find  that,  on 
arrival  at  Abu  Hamed,  on  the  8th  February,  finding  the 
state  of  the  country  to  be  less  disorganised  than  he  had 


liv  GORDON'S  POSITION  AT  KARTOUM. 

supposed,  and  adverting  to  the  confusion  which  must  ensue 
if  all  traces  of  the  Khedive's  Government  were  suddenly- 
effaced,  he  made  the  suggestion  that  a  sort  of  suzerainty 
shoiJd  be  kept  up,  and  that  the  chief  officers  of  the  Soudan 
should  continue  to  be  appointed  by  the  Khedive ;  a  com- 
plete and  abrupt  separation  being  thus  postponed,  although 
the  control  to  be  retained  would  be  more  nominal  than 
real. 

This  feeling  in  General  Gordon's  mind  grew  rapidly 
stronger  as  time  went  on.  When  he  reached  Berber  he 
saw  still  more  clearly  the  position  he  was  in,  and  became 
impressed  with  the  impossibility  of  carrying  out  his  mission 
with  credit,  unless  he  was  able  to  secure  to  the  provinces 
of  the  Soudan  some  sort  of  government  in  the  place  of  the 
one  it  was  intended  to  withdraw. 

Accordingly,  upon  the  day  of  his  arrival  at  Kartoum 
(the  18th  February),  General  Gordon,  after  pointing  out 
to  the  Government  the  difficulties  that  surroimded  liim, 
inasmuch  as  the  garrisons  and  employes  were  to  be  re- 
moved, when  all  form  of  government  would  disappear, 
urged  in  the  strongest  terms  he  covdd  employ  that  power 
should  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  single  man,  and  that 
the  man  to  be  chosen  should  be  Zubair  Pasha. 

Now  it  may  be  remarked  that  although  Zubair  was  one 
of  the  most  noted  slave-hunters  that  had  ever  existed,  yet 
his  ability  and  influence  could  not  be  surpassed,  wliile 
even  the  Khedive  could  not  lay  claim  to  any  such  proud 
descent  —  Zubair  being  a  direct  descendant  of  the  Abbas- 
sides. 

This  recommendation  was  rejected  by  the  Government, 
although  renewed  over  and  over  again  in  a  most  persistent 
manner  by  General  Gordon,  backed  up  by  Sir  Evelyn 
Baring,  who,  on  the  9th  March,  says :  "  I  believe  that 
Zubair  Pasha  may  be  made  a  bulwark  against  the  ap- 
proach of  the  Mahcli.     Of  course  there  is  a  certain  risk 


GORDON'S  POSITION  AT  KARTOUM.  Iv 

that  he  will  constitute  a  danger  to  Egypt,  but  this  risk  is, 
I  tliink,  a  small  one ;  and  it  is  in  any  case  preferable  to 
incui'  it  rather  than  to  face  the  certain  disadvantages  of 
withdrawing  without  making  any  provision  for  the  future 
goverimient  of  the  country,  which  would  thus  be  sure  to 
fall  "jider  the  power  of  the  Madhi." 

I  must  admit  that,  up  to  the  end  of  July,  I  was  of 
oj)inion  that  if  Zubair  had  been  sent  up  General  Gordon's 
life  would  have  been  in  danger.  On  the  other  hand,  I 
am  aware  that  a  Cabinet  Minister  of  liigh  position  was, 
from  the  first,  in  favour  of  sending  Zubair  up,  and  so  in- 
deed was  Lord  Wolseley. 

At  the  beginning  of  August,  General  Gordon  having 
again  begged  that  Zubair  might  be  sent  to  Kartoum,  I 
used  my  endeavours  to  secure  the  attainment  of  that  ob- 
ject, but  without  success.  It  was  now  apparent  that 
General  Gordon  could  not  in  honor  leave  until  some  form 
of  future  government  had  been  determined  upon. 

Zubair 's  appointment  having  been  disallowed,  the  only 
alternative  seemed  to  be  the  Turks,  and  the  suggestion 
was  made  that  they  should  occupy  the  Soudan.  Any- 
thing, in  fact,  to  secm-e  the  comitry  against  anarchy  and 
its  reversion  to  barbarism. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind.  General  Gordon  did  not  ask 
that  an  expedition  should  be  sent ;  on  the  contrary,  he 
deprecated  sending  any,  unless  for  the  purpose  of  saving 
the  garrisons  and  of  establishing  some  form  of  govern- 
ment. 

The  proposed  movement  of  two  squadrons  of  cavalry 
from  Suakin  to  Berber  is  outside  the  question.  It  was  to 
save  Berber  they  were  applied  for,  not  for  the  relief  of 
Kartoum.  General  Gordon's  message  was,  "Send  troops 
(200)  to  Berber,  or  you  will  lose  it !  "  It  is  fair  to  Sir 
Evelyn  Baring  to  add,  that  on  the  24th  March  he  said, 
"  Under  present  circumstances  I  think  an  effort  should  be 


Ivi  GORDON'S  POSITION  AT  KARTOUM. 

made  to  help  General  Gordon  from  Suakin,  if  it  is  at  all 
a  possible  operation." 

If  General  Gordon  had  known  how  much  in  unison  Sir 
Evelyn  Baring's  advice  had  been  with  his  own,  and  what 
support  he  had  received  at  Sir  Evelyn's  hands,  he  would 
have  been  eager,  had  his  life  been  spared,  to  acknowledge 
that  co-operation. 

Before  concluding,  I  must  say  a  few  words  with  respect 
to  the  severe  comments,  which  occur  in  places  tlu'oughout 
the  Diaries,  upon  the  meagre  information  he  received  fi'om 
the  Intelligence  Department,^  in  connection  with  which  the 
names  of  Major  Chermside  and  Major  Kitchener  are  men- 
tioned. Now,  with  regard  to  the  former  of  these  officers, 
he  was  at  Suakin,  and  therefore  does  not  come  into  the 
question.  With  respect,  however,  to  Major  Kitchener,  I 
am  persuaded  that  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  get  mes- 
sengers into  Kartoum,  for  just  in  the  same  way  General 
Gordon  fancied  he  got  them  out ;  and  yet  how  few  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  their  destination.  In  the  same  way  too 
as  General  Gordon  fancied  his  messengers  had  reached, 
so  did  Mr.  Egerton  fancy  his  had  been  successful,  for  at 
the  end  of  July  he  liinted  that  General  Gordon  could  have 
sent  messengers  out,  in  the  same  way  as  others  had  got  in, 
and  yet  at  that  date  only  one  had  done  so.  It  is  due  to 
Major  Kitchener  to  say  that  from  the  time  he  went  to 
Dongola  he  certainly  kept  us  acquainted  vdth  the  position 
of "affaii's  at  Kartoum  in  a  manner  most  reliable,  and  de- 
serving of  much  credit. 

With  these  prefatory  remarks  I  leave  my  brother's 
Journals  to  speak  for  themselves.  He  shows,  to  my  mind, 
with  the  utmost  clearness  the  position  in  which  he  was 
placed,  and  reiterates  over  and  over  again  that  nothing 
will  induce  him  to  leave  Kartoum  until  he  has  secured 

1  This  department  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  one  associated 
with  the  Quartermaster-General  at  the  War  Office. 


GORDON'S  POSITION  AT  KARTOUM.        Ivii 

the  safety  of  all  those  who  have  stood  by  him.  He  says, 
"  I  will  end  these  egotistical  remarks  by  saying  that  no 
persuasion  will  induce  me  to  change  my  views ;  and  that, 
as  to  force,  it  is  out  of  the  question,  for  I  have  the  people 
with  me,  at  any  rate,  of  the  towns  which  hold  out ;  there- 
fore, if  Her  Majesty's  forces  are  not  prepared  to  relieve 
the  whole  of  the  garrisons,  the  General  should  consider 
whether  it  is  worth  coming  up.  In  his  jjlace,  if  not  so 
prepared,  I  would  not  do  so.  I  do  not  dictate ;  but  I  say, 
what  every  gentleman  in  Her  Majesty's  army  would  agree 
to,  that  it  would  be  mean  to  leave  men,  who  (though  they 
may  not  come  up  to  our  ideas  as  heroes)  have  stuck  to  me, 
though  a  Chi'istian  dog  in  their  eyes,  tlirough  great  diffi- 
culties, and  thus  force  them  to  surrender  to  those  who 
have  not  conquered  them,  and  to  do  that  at  the  bidding 
of  a  foreign  Power  to  save  one's  own  skin.  Why,  the 
black  sluts  would  stone  me  if  they  thought  I  meditated 
such  action." 

Up  to  the  14th  December  General  Gordon  could  have 
got  away  at  any  time,  had  he  been  so  inclined ;  in  fact,  he 
says,  "As  for  myself,  I  could  make  good  my  retreat  at 
any  moment  I  wished."  After  that  date  we  know  noth- 
ing. No  doubt  Omdurman  fell  at  once,  and  in  aU  prob- 
ability the  Island  of  Tuti  followed  soon  after.  General 
Gordon  must  then  have  seen  that  no  relief  could  reach 
him,  provisions  were  rapidly  running  out,  treachery,  as  he 
well  knew,  was  at  work,  and  the  end  came. 

He  writes  to  his  sister  on  the  14th  December :  "  God 
rules  all ;  and  as  God  will  rule  to  His  glory  and  our  wel- 
fare. His  will  be  done.  I  am  quite  happy,  and,  like  Law- 
rence, have  tried  to  do  my  duty." 

In  conclusion,  I  will  add  in  General  Gordon's  own 
words,  "  It  is,  of  course,  on  the  cards  that  Kartoum  is 
taken  under  the  nose  of  the  Expeditionary  Force,  which 
will  be  just  too  late.     The  Expeditionary  Force  wUl  per- 


Iviii       GORDON'S  POSITION  AT  KARTOUM. 

haps  tliink  it  necessary  to  retake  it ;  but  that  will  be  no 
use,  and  will  cause  loss  of  life  uselessly  on  both  sides.  It 
had  far  better  quietly  retui'n  with  its  tail  between  its  legs ; 
for,  once  Kartouni  is  taken,  the  sun  will  have  set  and  the 
people  will  not  care  much  for  the  satellites.  If  Kartoum 
falls,  then  go  quietly  back  to  Cairo,  for  you  will  only  lose 
men  and  spend  money  uselessly  in  carrying  on  the  cam- 
paign." 

H.  W.  GORDON. 


THE    IVnSSION    OF    COLONEL    SIR    CHARLES 
WILSON,  R.  E.,  K.C.M.  G. 


Vert  severe  criticisms  have  been  made  upon  the  man- 
ner in  wliich  Sir  Charles  "Wilson  carried  out  the  duties 
that  had  been  entrusted  to  Iiim,  with  regard  to  commu- 
nicating with  General  Gordon  at  Kartoima. 

The  charges  made  against  him  may  be  with  advantage 
restricted  to  two  :  — 

First :  The  delay  in  not  proceeding  to  Kartoum  at  the 
latest  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd  ;  and 

Second :  In  not  having  pushed  on  to  Kartoum  itself  in 
order  to  ascertain  General  Gordon's  fate  beyond  a  doubt. 

Sir  Charles  Wilson  left  England  in  order  to  assume  the 
position  of  Head  of  the  Intelligence  Department,  and 
also  with  the  tacit  understanding  that  he  was  to  be  sjje- 
ciaUy  employed  in  order  to  open  direct  commuuication 
with  General  Gordon. 

Having  this  special  object  in  view,  Sir  Charles  Wilson 
accompanied  Sir  Herbert  Stewart's  force  towards  the 
Nile  ;  and,  when  that  gallant  and  highly-distinguished 
officer  was  wounded  on  the  19th  January,  he  found  him- 
self in  command. 

Now  this  force,  which  did  not  equal  a  British  battalion 
upon  its  war  strength,  was  hampered  with  a  number  of 
womided  officers  and  men,  some  of  whom  were  with  it, 
while  others  —  the  bulk  —  were  in  a  zereba  constructed 
at  some  distance  in  its  rear. 


Ix         MISSION   OF  SIR   CHARLES   WILSON. 

Sir  Charles  Wilson,  however,  advanced  to  the  Nile, 
where  he  bivouacked  for  the  night ;  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  20th  he  returned  to  the  zereba,  and  brought  back 
with  him  to  Gubat  the  woimded  who  had  been  left  be- 
hind. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  21st,  General  Gordon's 
steamers  appeared,  and  landed  their  soldiers,  who  took 
part  in  the  operations  of  that  day. 

Reports  now  reached  Sir  Charles  Wilson  that,  exclusive 
of  the  Ai"abs  in  Metemma,  large  numbers  were  advancing 
from  the  north  and  from  the  south.  It  therefore  became 
imperatively  necessary  for  him  to  secure  the  safety  of 
those  who  were  under  his  orders  before  he  could  proceed 
upon  his  mission. 

Accordingly,  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd  he  made  a 
reconnaissance  towards  the  north,  and,  finding  no  enemy, 
he  turned  liis  attention  to  the  south. 

The  whole  of  the  23rd  was  occupied  in  making  arrange- 
ments for  the  proper  protection  of  his  force,  and  he  could 
not  have  left  before  the  morning  of  the  24th. 

It  may  here  be  observed,  in  confirmation  of  the  report 
of  the  Arabs  arriving  from  the  south,  that  Sir  Charles 
Wilson,  on  his  road  to  Kartoum,  saw  a  body  of  men  at  a 
place  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Nile,  about  twelve  miles 
south  of  Gubat. 

It  is  really  beyond  the  question  to  consider  what  Gen- 
eral Gordon's  position  at  this  time  was  at  Kartoum. 
When  General  Gordon  sent  down  his  last  Journal,  on  the 
14th  December,  he  stated  he  coidd  not  hold  out  for  more 
than  ten  days,  and  he  was  in  daily  expectation  that  the 
Fort  at  Omdurman  would  fall ;  while  even  then,  with  that 
Fort  in  his  possession,  he  considered  it  would  be  very 
hazardous  for  any  steamer  to  attempt  to  come  up  to  Kar- 
toum. On  the  28th  November  he  says  :  "I  hope  the  offi- 
cer in  command  will  clear  Halfeyeh  before  he  pushes  on 


MmSION  OF  SIR   CHARLES   WILSON.        Ixi 

to  this,  for  he  may  get  a  shell  from  the  works  at  Omdur- 
man  (not  the  Fort)  into  one  of  his  steamers.  I  do  not 
like  to  risk  sending  the  Bordeen  steamer  down  to  give  the 
warning.  If  the  steamers  do  come  up,  and  have  not  the 
sense  to  stop  at  Half eyeh,  I  shaU  endeavour  to  warn  them. 
The  danger  is  at  the  Ras  or  nose,  on  the  junction  of  the 
Blue  and  White  Niles.  The  proper  thing  to  do  would 
be  to  clear  Halfeyeh  camp  of  the  Ai-abs  before  coming 
on  here.  You  could  then  communicate  with  Kartoum  by 
land,  and  avoid  running  the  gauntlet  of  Arab  guns  in 
penny  steamboats." 

Now  if  General  Gordon  so  expressed  himself  on  the 
28th  November,  two  months  before  Sir  Charles  Wilson 
got  to  Kartoum,  and  when  the  fort  at  Omdurman  and  the 
island  of  Tuti  were  both  in  the  General's  hands,  what 
must  have  been  the  state  of  affairs  when  both  those  posi- 
tions had  fallen  and  were  in  the  possession  of  the  Arabs  ? 

Returning  to  Sir  Charles  Wilson's  progress  with  his 
detachment  of  only  twenty  men,  when  he  got  to  the  point 
of  danger,  as  pointed  out  by  General  Gordon,  he  found 
himself  under  a  cross  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry  from 
all  points  of  the  compass,  including  Kartoum  itself.  Un- 
der such  circumstances  he  had  no  alternative  but  to  retire, 
since,  had  he  continued  his  journey,  he  could  never  have 
secured  his  retreat. 

Consequently  I  cannot  but  express  my  feeling  that  on 

neither   head  of  charge   does    any  blame    attach   to  Sir 

Charles  Wilson. 

H.  W.  Gordon. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  JOURNAL. 


[Lieut.-Colonel  Stewart  kept  a  complete  journal  of  events 
that  occurred  at  Kartoum  from  the  1st  March  to  the  9th  Sep- 
tember, upon  the  night  of  which  day  he  left.] 

Generaij  Gordon,  who  had  assisted  in  great  measure 
in  the  preparation  of  this  Joiirnal,  describes  it  as  a  perfect 
gem. 

It  was  in  duplicate,  and  was  captured  when  Colonel 
Stewart  was  murdered ;  and,  according  to  Slatin  Bey's 
account  (who  at  the  time  was  \vith  the  Mahdi),  is  now  in 
his  (the  Mahdi's)  possession. 

General  Gordon's  Diaries  are  in  six  parts. 

The  First  is  from  the  10th  of  September  to  the  23rd  of 
September,  and  contains  78  pages. 

The  Second  is  from  the  23rd  of  September  to  the  30th 
of  September,  and  contains  41  pages. 

The  Third  is  from  the  1st  to  the  12th  of  October,  and 
contains  85  pages. 

The  Fourth  is  from  the  12th  to  the  20th  of  October,  and 
contains  32  pages. 

The  Fifth  is  from  the  20th  of  October  to  the  5th  of 
November,  and  contains  93  pages. 

The  Sixth  is  from  the  5th  of  November  to  the  14th  of 
December,  and  contains  104  pages. 

The  First,  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth  Diaries  are  ad- 
dressed to  Lieut.-Colonel  Stewart,  C  M.  G.,  or  the  Chief 
of  the  Staff.     The  Fifth  is  addressed  to  the  Chief  of  the 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  JOURNAL.         Ixiii 

StafP  of  the  Expeditionary  Force  for  the  relief  of  the  gar- 
rison, and  the  Sixth  is  addressed  in  the  same  way. 

The  Fii'st  and  Second  Diaries  were  sent  on  the  30th  of 
September  by  steamer  for  Berber  via  Shendy. 

The  Tliird  was  sent  by  the  steamer  Towfikia  on  the 
12th  of  October  to  Metemma. 

The  Fourth  was  sent  to  Shendy  in  a  steamer  on  the 
21st  of  October. 

The  Fifth  left  in  the  steamer  Bordeen  on  the  5th  of 
November  for  Metemma ; 

And  the  Sixth  also  left  in  the  steamer  Bordeen  on  the 
15th  of  December. 

Each  Diary  has  the  same  remarks,  sometimes  repeated 
three  times,  on  the  outside  of  the  Journal,  to  the  efEect  that 
"  it  should  be  pruned  down  prior  to  publication." 

The  Jom'nals  or  Diaries  were  handed  over  to  Sir 
Charles  Wilson  on  the  22nd  of  January,  at  Metemma, 
by  the  officer  commanding  General  Gordon's  steamers. 

The  Journals  were,  in  my  opinion,  properly  considered 
by  the  Government  as  official  documents  (see  letter  ac- 
companying the  last  Journal),  and  were  handed  over  to 
me  with  the  remark  that  "  So  far  as  Her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment had  a  desire  in  the  matter,  it  was  for  the  publi- 
cation of  the  whole  Diary  ;  but  they  did  not  wish  to  inter- 
fere with  my  discretion." 

The  note  at  the  end  of  the  first  Journal  evidently  im- 
plies that  when  the  Government  have  done  with  the  Joui*- 
nals,  then  Miss  Gordon  is  to  have  them. 

The  publication  being,  therefore,  in  my  hands,  I  have 
arranged  with  Messrs.  Kegan  Paul,  Trench  &  Co.  for  theu- 
issue  in  a  very  nearly  entire  state,  only  some  six  or  seven 
pages  being  omitted,  which  contain,  in  my  opinion,  no 
matter  of  public  interest ;  while,  with  regard  to  names, 
those  who  are  weU  acquainted  with  the  affairs  of  Egypt 
can  fill  up  the  blanks  without  difficulty. 


Ixiv  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  JOURNAL. 

It  is  to  be  hoiiecl  that  strenuous  endeavours  may  be  made 
in  order  to  obtain  Colonel  Stewart's  Journal,  together  with 
those  of  General  Gordon  from  the  15th  of  December  to 
the  day  upon  wliich  Kartoum  fell,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
Doctor  promised  to  the  "  Times." 

The  Cairo  telegrams  alluded  to  in  the  Diaries  have  not 
been  handed  over  to  me. 

H.  W.  GORDON. 


POSITION   OF   THE   STEAMERS,  DECEMBER 

14th,  1884. 


Abbas 
Bordeen     . 
Chabeen    . 
Fascher     . 
Husseinyeh 
Ismailia    . 
Mahomet  All 
Mansoivrah 
Monsuhania 
Saphia 
Talataiveen    . 
Towfikia  . 
Zubair 
Restimei: 
Lost     .     .     .     . 


Lost  with  Col.  Stewart. 

Metemma,  took    down  Journal  VI. 

In  dock,  Kartoum. 

Captured  at  Berber  by  Arabs. 

Sunk  off  Onidurman. 

At  Kartoum. 

Cajitui-ed  up  Blue  Nile  by  Arabs. 

Metemma  or  Shendy. 

Captured  at  Berber  by  Arabs. 

Metemma  or  Sliendy. 

Ditto.  ditto. 

Ditto.  ditto. 

Kartoum. 


At  Kartoum ,3 — 1  in  dock. 

At  Metemma  waiting  for  Lord  Wolseley      5 


13 


BOOK  I. 


On  outside  wrapper  (as  glass-cloth)  : 

No  secrets  as  far  as  I  am  concerned. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 

Lt.-Colonel  Stewart,  C.  M.  G. 
or 
Chief  of  the  Staff,  Lord  Wolseley,  G.  C.  B. 
Soudan  Exijeditionary  Force. 


Journal  of  Events  —  Kartoum,  Vol.  I. 
From  10th  Sept.  to  23rd  Sept.,  1882. 

On  Cover  at  back : 
General  Gordon's  Journal 
From  the  10th  to  23rd  September,  1884. 


N.  B.  —  This  Journal  will  want  pruning  out  if  thought  neces- 
sary to  publish. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 

lo/g/si. 


KARTOUM 

1884 

drawn  fiom  rough,  sketn^s 
niadelbiy- the  late 
M. GENERAL  C.C.GORDON  , C  .B- 

EngishMilas 


Populabon  ofSoFUnmv  ,  40,000 
A.k.,Artmd,Boats  (Santdls) 
B.B.,STeasbf/ofka. 


©HalftyeK 


JOURNAL. 


Vide  note  as  to  pruning  down  on  outside.  —  C.  G.  G. 

September  10. —  Colonel  Stewart,  MM.  Power  and 
Herbin,  left  during  the  night  for  Dongola,  md  Ber- 
ber. 

Spy  came  in  from  south  front,  and  one  from  Hal- 
feyeh  reports  Arabs  will  not  attack,  but  will  continue 
the  blockade. 

Sent  off  two  sets  of  telegrams  by  a  spy,  who  will 
go  to  Shendy. 

Yesterday,  when  the  messenger  went  out  to  de- 
liver my  answer  to  the  Arabs,  in  response  to  Mah- 
di's  letter,  though  he  had  a  white  flag,  they  fired  on 
him,  and  tried  to  capture  him.  They  use  the  white 
flag,  and  find  it  respected  by  us,  and  that  we  let 
their  men  go  back.  They  chain  any  men  we  send 
to  them. 

It  is  wonderful  how  the  people  of  the  town,  who 
have  every  possible  facility  to  leave  the  city,  cling 
to  it,  and  how,  indeed,  there  are  hundreds  who  flock 
in,  though  it  is  an  open  secret  we  have  neither 
money  nor  food.^     Somehow  this  makes  me  feel  con- 

1  The  military,  civilians,  Ulemas,  inhabitants  and  settlers  in  Kartoum 
telegraphed  on  August  19th  to  the  Khedive  as  follows :  "  Weakened  and 
reduced  to  extremities,  God  in  his  mercv  sent  Gordon  Pasha  to  us  m 


4        GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

fident  in  the  future,  for  it  is  seldom  that  an  impulse 
such  as  this  acts  on  each  member  of  a  disintegrated 
mass  without  there  being  some  reason  for  it,  which 
those  who  act  have  no  idea  of,  but  which  is  a  sort  of 
instinct.  Truly  I  do  not  think  one  could  inflict  a 
greater  punishment  on  an  inhabitant  of  Kartoum 
tlian  to  force  him  to  go  to  the  Arabs. 

Half  ey  eh  reports  that  Faki  Mu  staph  a,  who  was  in 
command  of  the  Arabs  on  the  west  or  left  bank  of 
the  White  Nile,  wishes  to  join  the  Government. 
He  is  informed  we  are  glad  of  it,  but  wish  him  to 
remain  quiet,  and  to  take  no  active  part  till  he  sees 
how  the  scales  of  the  balance  go ;  if  we  rise,  then  he 
can  act ;  if  we  fall,  he  is  not  to  compromise  himself  ; 
but  what  we  ask  him  is  to  send  up  our  spies,  which 
he  can  do  without  risk.^  The  same  advice  was  given 
to  the  people  of  Shendy,  who  wished  to  issue  out  and 
attack  Berber. 

The  runaways  of  Tuti  ^  wish  to  come  back,  which 
is  allowed. 

The  "  matches "  used  for  the  mines  are  all  iin- 

the  midst  of  our  calamities  of  the  siege,  and  we  should  all  have  perished 
of  hunger  and  been  destro_ved.  But  we,  sustained  by  liis  intelligence 
and  great  military  skill,  have  been  preserved  in  Kartoum  until  now."  — 
Egypt,  No.  35,  p.  112  ;  see  also  Appendix  AB.  —  Ed.  " 

2  In  this  passage  we  have  an  example  of  the  old  and  perfect  fairness 
with  which  General  Gordon  dealt  with  others.  Before  allowing  Musta- 
pha  Faki,  the  neutral,  to  join  his  ranks  and  aid  him  against  the  Mahdi, 
he  must  first  himself  be  satisfied  that  such  a  step  would  not  endanger 
Faki  Mustapha's  life.  Success  or  failure  was  still  doubtful.  This,  of 
course,  he  could  not  tell  Mustapha,  but  would  it  be  right  and  just  to  use 
him  while  such  a  dosbt  existed?  Gordon  was  of  opinion  that  it  would 
not,  and  tlius  he  bade  IMustapha  wait  events,  and  do  for  him  that  only 
which  involved  no  risks.  —  Ed. 

s  Tuti  is  an  island  at  the  junction  of  the  White  and  Blue  Nile.  —  Ed 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  5 

islied,  and  we  are  obliged  to  go  back  to  powder  hose, 
and  unite  the  mines  in  families  of  ten. 

Rows  on  rows  of  wire  entanglement  are  being 
placed  around  the  lines.  General  Gordon's  horse 
was  captured  by  the  Arabs  in  the  defeat  of  El  foun ; 
the  other  staff  horse  got  a  cut  on  the  head,  but  is 
now  all  right. 

The  Mahdi  is  still  at  Rahad.*  The  answer  to  his 
letter  (vide  Colonel  Stewart's  Journal)  was  sent 
open,  so  that  the  Arab  leaders  could  read  its  con- 
tents. 

With  respect  to  letters  written  to  the  Mahdi  and 
to  the  Arab  chiefs,  commenting  on  the  apostasy  of 
Europeans,  they  may,  and  are,  no  doubt,  hard,  but 
it  is  not  a  small  thing  for  a  European,  for  fear  of 
death,  to  deny  our  faith  ;  it  was  not  so  in  old  times, 
and  it  should  not  be  regarded  as  if  it  was  taking  off 
one  coat,  and  putting  on  another.  If  the  Christian 
faith  is  a  myth,  then  let  men  throw  it  off,  but  it  is 
mean  and  dishonourable  to  do  so  merely  to  save  one's 
life  if  one  believes  it  is  the  true  faith.  What  can 
be  more  strong  than  these  words,  "  He  who  denies 
me  on  earth  I  will  deny  in  heaven."  The  old  mar- 
tyrs regarded  men  as  their  enemies,  who  tried  to 
jjrevent  them  avowing  their  faith.  In  the  time  of 
Queens  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  what  men  we  had;  and 
then  it  was  for  less  than  here,  for  it  was  mainly  the 
question  of  the  Mass,  while  here  it  is  the  question  of 
the  denial  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  passion.  It  is 
perhaps  as  well  to  omit  this,  if  this  journal  is  pub- 
lished, for  no  man  has  a  right  to  judge  another. 
Politically  and  morally,  however,  it  is  better  for  us 

*  Near  El  Obeyed  and  about  200  miles  from  Kartoum.  —  Ed. 


6  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  apostate  Euro- 
peans in  the  Arab  camp.  Treachery  never  suc- 
ceeds, and,  however  matters  may  end,  it  is  better  to 
fall  with  clean  hands,  than  to  be  mixed  up  with 
dubious  acts  and  dubious  men.  Maybe  it  is  better 
for  us  to  fall  with  honour,  than  to  gain  the  victory 
with  dishonour,  and  in  this  view  the  Ulemas  of  the 
town  are  agreed  ;  they  will  have  nought  to  do  with 
the  proposals  of  treachery. 

No  doubt  the  letters  to  the  Arabs  will  make  the 
Arab  chiefs  work  on  the  Europeans  with  them,  to 
take  an  active  part  against  us,  by  saying  to  those 
Europeans,  "  You  are  cast  out ;  "  but  the  Arabs  will 
never  trust  them  really,  so  they  can  do  little  against 
us. 

We  had  a  regular  gaol  delivery  to-day,  letting 
out  some  fifty,  and  are  sending  to  the  Arabs  about 
nine  prisoners  whom  it  is  not  advisable  to  keep  in 
the  town.  A  donkey  quietly  grazing  near  the  North 
Fort  exploded  one  of  the  mines  tliere  (an  iron  alem- 
bic which  belonged  to  the  time  of  Mahomet  Ali,  and 
had  been  used  for  the  reduction  of  gold  ;  it  held 
some  10  lbs.  of  powder)  ;  the  donkey,  angry  and 
surprised,  wallced  off  unhurt !     These  alembics  are 


of  this  shape,  braced  by  iron  straps  together.     It  is 
extraordinary  that  after  a  good  deal  of  rain,  and 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  7 

three  months'  exposure,  the  domestic  matchbox 
should  have  retained  its  vitality. 

The  school  here  is  most  interesting,  as  the  schol- 
ars get  a  certain  ration.  It  is  always  full,  viz.,  two 
hundred.  Each  boy  has  a  wooden  board,  on  which 
his  lesson  is  written,  and  on  visiting  it  the  object  of 
each  boy  is  to  be  called  out  to  read  his  lesson,  which 
they  do  \\dth  a  swaying  motion  of  body,  and  in  a  sing- 
song way,  like  the  Jews  do  at  the  wailing  place  at 
Jerusalem  and  in  their  synagogues,  from  which  we 
may  infer  this  was  the  ancient  way  of  worship,  for 
the  lessons  are  always  from  the  Koran.  Little  black 
doves  with  no  pretension  to  any  nose,  and  not  more 
than  two  feet  high,  push  forward  to  say  the  first  ten 
letters  of  the  alphabet,  which  is  all  they  know. 

We  have  completed  the  census  (^ride  Colonel 
Stewart's  Journal),^  and  have  34,000  people  in  the 
town. 

Septemher  11.  —  Stewart's  steamers,  which  had 
been  delayed  at  Half eyeh  ^  owing  to  some  machin- 
ery accident,  left  last  night  for  Berber.'^  Spy  re- 
ports that  one  of  captured  steamers  at  Berber  is 
disabled  by  the  Arabs. 

When  Cuzzi  ^  came  to  the  lines  yesterday,  the  of- 
ficer Hassan  Bey  made  him  walk  over  on  his  knees 

5  Vide  Sir  Henry  Gordon's  Prefatory  Note.  —  En. 

8  A  small  town  eight  miles  north  of  Kartoum.  —  Ed. 

■?  Berber  is  about  200  miles  from  Kartoum.  — Ed. 

8  English  Consular  Agent  at  Berber.  According  to  M.  ITerbin's  tele- 
gram from  Kartoum  received  by  M.  Barrere  on  22nd  September,  1884, 
Cuzzi  had  gone  to  Kordofan,  but  whether  free  or  as  a  prisoner  was  not 
stated  —  Egypt,  No.  35  (188-4),  No.  142.  — Ed. 


8  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

in  order  to  pass  into  lines,  pointing  out  to  him  that 
the  lines  were  thickly  spread  with  fearfid  mines. 
Cuzzi  asked  what  one  would  do  when  the  Nile  fell, 
and  was  told  that  these  new  mines  would  be  put 
down  as  the  river  fell.  Hassan  Bey  put  Cuzzi  into 
a  hut,  and  questioned  him  as  to  the  whereabouts  of 
the  Mahdi.  He  said  first  he  was  at  Duem,^  and 
when  pressed  he  agreed  the  Mahdi  was  in  Kordof  an, 
and  had  not  moved.  He  said  the  Mahdi  had  not 
more  than  two  regiments ;  that  he  had  lost  heavily 
in  fighting  the  mountain  tribes  of  Nubia,  and  had 
not  much  ammunition  left ;  that  Waled  a  Goun 
had  some  200  regulars  with  him,  10  mountain  guns, 
and  2  Krupps,  but  only  5  boxes  of  mountain -gun 
ammunition,  and  3  boxes  of  Krupp,  and  5  boxes  of 
Remington.  (The  Arabs  captured  at  our  defeat  at 
El  foun  75,000  rounds,  so  that  will  help  them.) 
Waled  a  Goun  wanted  to  go  to  Giraffe,  where  Abou 
Gugliz  was  defeated,  but  Abou  Gugliz  said  it  would 
never  do.  Cuzzi  looked  pretty  miserable.  Outside 
the  lines  were  three  Arabs  and  Zarada  (a  Greek)  ; 
they  waited  for  Cuzzi.  Soon  after  Cuzzi  had  left 
for  the  Arab  camp,  two  dervishes  came  in  with  the 
Mahdi's  letter  (mde  Colonel  Stewart's  Journal),  and 
a  dervish  dress  from  the  Mahdi  to  me.  They  were 
given  the  letters  I  had  received  for  Slatin  for  Cairo, 
and  my  answer  to  the  Arabs ;  also  the  horse  head- 
stall which  Abou  Gugliz  had  lost,  at  which  they 
were  amused,  and  went  off  to  the  Arab  camp.  I 
sent  out  my  letter  in  answer  to  the  Mahdi  (vide 
Colonel  Stewart's  Journal)  with  a  slave,  upon  whom 

^  Duem  is  a  town  on  the  White  Nile  about  100  miles  from  Kartoum. 
—  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  9 

they  fired.  Talataween  and  Bordeen  left  for  Sen- 
naar  this  morning  to  bring  down  dhoora.^^  Letter 
written  to  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  ^^  proposing  "  we 
should  mutually  remain  quiet,  &e.,  &c.,  with  relation 
to  one  another,  as  we  are  rendering  the  country  a 
desert." 

Jer.  xvii.  5.  "  Cursed  (thus  saith  the  Lord)  is 
the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh  flesh  his 
arm,  and  whose  heart  departeth  from  the  Lord ; " 
therefore  cursed  is  he  of  the  Lord,  who  hopes  by 
any  arrangement  of  forces,  or  by  exterior  help,  to 
be  relieved  from  the  position  we  are  in.  Jer.  xvii.  7. 
"  Blessed  (thus  saith  the  Lord)  is  he  that  trusteth 
in  the  Lord,  and  whose  hope  the  Lord  is,"  therefore 
blessed  is  he  "  of  the  Lord  "  who  makes  all  his  ar- 
rangements of  forces,  without  any  reliance  on  such 
arrangements,  or  on  any  exterior  help,  but  trusts  in 
the  Lord.^^  How  impossible  for  man  alone  to  ac- 
cept these  views,  for  with  what  heart  can  he  make 
his  arrangements  if  he  does  not  trust  in  their  suc- 
cess !     Curious  verses,  Ezekiel  xxix.  10-14,^^  as  to 

1"  A  cereal  verj"-  much  resembling  Indian  corn.  —  Ed. 

11  The  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  declared  for  the  Mahdi  in  March,  1884. 

12  At  first  sight  there  might  seem  something  of  a  contradiction  in 
these  sentiments,  but,  when  weighed,  they  will  be  found  consistent  and 
sound.  They  convey  an  idea  whicli  was  constantly  at  work  in  Gordon's 
mind,  and  this  to  the  effect  that  man  should  make  every  effort  towards 
the  attainment  of  perfection,  and  tlien,  and  not  till  then,  leave  the  issue 
to  God  ;  that  he  should,  in  fact,  draw  on  all  earthly  resources  —  as  the 
instrument  of  God  —  and  that,  these  exhausted,  he  should  then  look  to 
Heaven  for  aid  not  to  be  drawn  from  earth.  — Ed. 

13  '•  Beliold,  therefore  I  am  against  thee,  and  against  thy  rivers,  and  I 
will  make  the  land  of  Egypt  utterly  waste  and  desolate,  from  the  tower 
of  Syene  even  unto  the  border  of  Ethiopia. 

"No  foot  of  man  shall  pass  through  it,  nor  foot  of  beast  shall  pass 
through  it,  neither  shall  it  be  mhabited  forty  years. 


10       GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Egypt  being  waste  for  forty  years  from  the  Tower  of 
Syene  (Assouan)  to  frontier  of  Ethiopia ;  it  is  cer- 
tainly the  Soudan  which  is  meant,  and  it  is  in  a  fair 
way  of  being  a  desert. 

A  Dervish  came  in  with  a  letter  from  Abdel 
Kader,  the  Sheikh  on  the  White  Nile,  which,  with 
answer,  is  annexed ;  ^^  he  also  brought  a  letter  from 
the  messengers  who  brought  in  the  Mahdi  's  letter 
on  9th  September  (vide  Col.  Stewart's  Journal). 
They  said  they  had  not  received  my  answer,  which 
it  will  be  remembered  was  sent  out  by  a  slave,  whom 
they  fired  uj)on.  This  man  also  brought  in  a  letter 
from  a  Greek,  Calamatino,^^  who  begs  to  come  in 
and  tell  me  important  news  for  all  Europe.  His 
letter  and  my  answer  are  annexed. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Cuzzi  adds  "  he  is  going  to 
Berber  to-day,"  so  he  may  meet  with  Stewart.  They 
might  have  gone  dow^l  together  had  they  mutually 
have  known  of  one  another's  departure. 

A  soldier  captured  at  Obeyed  came  in,  and  reports 
that  his  comrades  would  come  in  en  masse  if  we 
would  let  them  come  at  night.  Abou  Gugiiz  denies 
that  the  head-stall  I  sent  to  him  is  his. 

I  put  down  our  defeat  on  the  Dem  or  head-quar- 

"And  I  will  make  the  land  of  Egj'pt  desolate  in  the  midst  of  the 
countries  that  are  desolate,  and  her  cities  among  the  cities  that  are  laid 
waste  shall  be  desolate  forty  years ;  and  I  will  scatter  the  Egyptians 
among  the  nations,  and  will  disperse  them  through  the  countries. 

"Yet  thus  saith  the  Lord  God  ;  At  the  end  of  forty  years  will  I  gather 
the  Egyptians  from  the  people  whither  they  were  scattered : 

"And  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  Egypt,  and  will  cause  them 
to  return  into  the  land  of  Pathros,  into  the  land  of  their  habitation;  and 
they  shall  be  there  a  base  kingdom."  — Ed. 

1*  Appendix  A  and  A  1. 

'5  Appendix  B.  ,  • 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  11 

ters  of  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  to  two  things  —  1.  A  lot 
o£  Kartoum  pedlars  went  out  to  loot,  and  they  broke 
the  square.  2.  Mahomet  Ali  Pasha  captured  a  lad 
of  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  the  little 
chap  spoke  out  boldly,  and  said  he  believed  Maho- 
met Achmet  was  the  Mahdi,  and  that  we  were  dogs. 
He  was  shot !  Before  1  heard  of  our  defeat  I  heard 
of  this,  and  I  thought  "  THAT  will  not  pass  una- 
venged." There  was  an  old  belief  among  old  Chris- 
tians that  every  event  which  happens  on  earth  is 
caused  by  some  action  being  taken  in  heaven  ;  the 
action  in  heaven  being  the  cause  of  the  event  on 
earth,  nide  Revelation,  when  at  the  opening  of  seals 
the  trumpet  sounds,  &c.,  &c.,  all  events  exercised  in 
heaven  are  followed  by  events  on  earth.  This  being 
the  case,  how  futile  are  our  efforts  to  turn  things  out 
of  their  course.  Vials  are  poured  out  on  earth 
whence  events  happen.  To  me,  it  seems  little  what 
those  events  may  be,  but  that  the  great  object  of  our 
lives  is  how  we  bear  those  events  in  our  individual- 
ity. If  we  trust  in  the  flesh,  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
we  are  cursed ;  if  we  trust  in  Him  we  are  blessed. 
I  cannot  think  that  there  are  any  promises  for  an- 
swers to  prayer  made  for  temporal  things  ;  the  prom- 
ises are  to  hear  prayer,  and  to  give  strength  to  bear 
with  quiet  what  may  be  the  Will  of  God.  A  vial  is 
poured  on  earth ;  events  happen ;  one  is  furious  with 
the  British  Government  for  these  events ;  but  if  we 
were  logical,  we  should  be  furious  with  the  pourer 
out  of  the  vial,  and  that  we  shrink  from  being,  for 
He  is  the  Almighty  who  pours  out  the  vial. 

This  afternoon  another  mine  blew  up  at  Tuti ;  the 


12  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

victim  was  another  donkey,  who,  however,  did  not 
get  off  so  well  as  his  colleague  of  the  North  Fort, 
for  he  lost  his  hind  quarters,  and  was  kUled.  —  R. 
LP. 

We  cannot  help  thinking  something  has  happened 
in  Europe  of  a  startling  nature,  and  which  is  known 
to  the  Arabs  in  an  indistinct  way,  for  they  evidently 
look  on  the  game  as  theirs,  and  that  vnthout  fight- 
ing, of  which  they  show  no  sign.  Abou  Gugliz  (in 
remonstrating  with  Waled  a  Goun,  who  wished  to 
descend  the  river)  told  him  "that  his  forts  were 
better  than  any  at  Cairo,  but  that  the  soldiers  came 
over  them,  like  afreets;  "  ^^  so  says  the  Dervish  who 
came  in  to-day. 

We  decided  to-night  to  send  out  a  letter  to  Arabs, 
saying  that  though  we  will  not  admit  any  European 
into  the  place  we  will  permit  an  interview,  with  any 
European  they  may  wish  to  send  to  a  flag  placed  in 
front  of  lines,  with  the  Greek  Consul  and  Greek 
Doctor. 

September  12.  —  It  is  most  dispiriting  to  be  in  the 
position  I  am,  if  it  was  not  good  for  me,  when  I 
think  that,  when  Heft,  I  could  say,  "no  man  could 
lift  his  hand  or  foot  in  the  land  of  Soudan  "  ^''  with- 
out me  (Gen.  xli.  44)  ^^  and  now  we  cannot  calculate 
on  our  existence  over  twenty-four  hours.     The  jdco- 

'^  "  Go,  and  with  ghouls  and  afrits  rave."  —  The  Giaour. 

1''  These  words  maj'  be  taken  literalh^  Such  was  Gordon's  power  and 
influence  in  1879,  when  he  resigned  the  Governor-Generalship  of  the 
Soudan.  —  En. 

18  "And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  I  am  Pharaoh,  and  without  thee 
shall  no  man  lift  up  his  hand  or  foot  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt."  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  13 

pie  are  all  against  us,  and  what  a  power  they  have ; 
they  need  not  fight,  but  have  merely  to  refuse  to  sell 
us  their  grain.  The  stomach  governs  the  world,  and 
it  was  the  stomach  (a  despised  organ)  which  caused 
our  misery  from  the  beginning.  It  is  wonderful  that 
the  ventral  tube  of  man  governs  the  world,  in  small 
and  great  things. 

One  of  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman's  family,  come  in 
from  Shendy,  reports  Osman  Digna,  as  writing  to 
Berber,  reporting  the  arrival  of  the  English  at  Sua- 
kin,  their  purchase  of  camels,  and  advance.  The 
Arab  chief  of  Berber  assembled  his  subordinates 
and  told  them  this,  also  of  the  advance  of  the  troops 
from  Debbeh  commanded  by  English  (Wood's  force), 
and  recommended  them  to  collect  their  men.  The 
two  captured  steamers  at  Berber  are  on  opposite 
sides  of  river. 

Sent  out  letter  to  the  Arabs  to-day,  saying  I  would 
let  the  Greek  Consul  come  out  and  meet  the  Greek 
who  had  written  to  me:  the  Arabs,  this  time,  did 
not  fire  on  the  flao;  of  truce. 

Church  parade  of  Arabs  on  south  front,  but  very 
far  off. 

The  man  from  Shendy  reports  that  all  the  right 
bank  of  the  Nile  is  quiet.  We  have  sent  out  an 
escort  to  try  and  capture  Cuzzi,  who  is  on  his  way 
to  Berber. 

It  certainly  is  a  curious  exemplification  of  how 
very  lightly  religions  sit  on  men,  and  to  note  the 
fearful  apostasy  of  both  Mussulmans  and  Christians, 
when  their  lives  or  property  are  menaced.  There  is 
scarcely  one  great  family  of  the  Soudan,  families 


14       GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

who  can  trace  their  pedigree  for  five  hundred  years, 
who  have  not  accepted  Mahomet  Achmet  as  Mahdi, 
to  save  their  property,  though  they  laugh  at  the  idea 
afterwards.  I  am  using  this  argument  with  them, 
in  saying,  "  You  ask  me  to  become  a  Mussulman  to 
save  my  life,  and  you  yourself  acknowledge  Mahomet 
Achmet  as  the  Mahdi,  to  save  your  lives ;  why,  if 
we  go  on  this  principle,  we  will  be  adopting  every 
religion  whose  adherents  threaten  our  existence,  for 
you  know  and  own,  when  you  are  safe,  that  Maho- 
met Achmet  is  not  the  Mahdi."  ^^ 

One  of  our  captured  soldiers  from  Obeyed  came 
in  from  Waled  a  Goun,  and  four  others  with  a  wo- 
man came  in  from  Faki  Mustapha  (two  of  the  last 
were  men  slaves  of  the  unfortunate  Hassan  Pasha 
Ibrahim,  who  was  executed) ;  they  report  food  scarce 
in  the  Arab  camp,  and  that  many  are  striving  to  run 
away,  owing  to  the  way  they  are  bullied. 

Ulemas  are  writing  letters  to  Arab  chiefs,  protest- 
ing against  their  acts,  as  being  contrary  to  Muslim 
religion. 

The  Greeks  and  other  prisoners  in  Obeyed,  &c., 
comjolain  bitterly  of  their  privations  and  ill-treat- 
ment by  the  Arabs,  in  the  letters  they  sent  in  here 
to  other  Greeks. 

I  was  awakened  this  morning  by  a  woman  crying 
out,  "  My  son  has  been  murdered,  and  I  demand 
justice."  Her  little  only  boy  had,  it  appears,  been 
in  one  of  the  Arab  water-wheels,  which  are  moved 

1"  "Everything  one  does  is  known,  and  the  only  regret  is  that  I  am 
a  Christian.  Yet  they  would  be  the  first  to  despise  me  if  I  recanted 
and  became  a  Mussulman." — Extract  from  General  Gordon's  Letter, 
dated  Kassala,  December  7th,  1877.  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  15 

by  oxen,  and  a  man  had  pushed  liim  off ;  liis  skull 
was  partially  fractured,  but  he  had  been  in  hospital 
for  some  days,  and  we  hoped  for  his  recovery,  when 
inflammation  set  in,  and  he  died.  He  was  a  nice 
little  bright-eyed,  chocolate-coloured  child  of  eight 
years  old  —  the  mother  is  a  widow.  One  is  drawn 
towards  the  children  of  this  country,  both  browns 
and  blacks ;  the  former  are  of  a  perfect  bronze 
colour. 

The  browns  and  blacks  bear  their  wounds  without 
a  murmur ;  the  poor  fellaheen  soldiers  yell  upon  the 
slio-htest  touch  to  their  wounds. 

One  of  the  Arab  chiefs  came  to  the  Shoboloha 
defile,  and  tried  to  raise  the  people  to  occupy  the 
passage  ;  the  people  refused,  and  the  Arab  chief 
went  off. 

There  is  a  negro  soldier  in  hospital  with  a  cut  on 
the  nose  from  a  sword ;  the  cut  has  entered  the  nos- 
trils, giving  him  four  openings  instead  of  two  —  it 
is  on  the  bridge  of  the  nose  (if  a  negro  nose  can  be 
said  to  have  a  bridge),  and  the  man's  cheeks  are 
untouched. 

One  man  received  a  wound  in  the  chest ;  he  lived 
eleven  days,  and  died.  The  doctor  found  a  bullet 
lodged  in  the  centre  of  his  heart,  in  wall  of  ventricle. 
The  doctor  has  this  heart  in  spirits.  It  was  a  ball 
weighing  the  same  as  our  Martini-Henri  bullet. 

The  negro  soldiers  are  wonderfully  clean,  while 
the  fellaheen  and  Turkish  lot  are  just  the  reverse  ; 
the  former  have  the  gloss  of  a  well-cleaned  and  pol- 
ished boot,  such  as  the  little  London  shoeblack  loves 
to  turn  out  for  a  penny. 


16 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


A  Greek  came  in  from  the  Arabs  to-night ;  I  sent 
the  Greek  Consul  to  see  him  on  the  lines,  where  he 
will  stop  for  the  night. 

I  saw  the  Ulemas  "^^  to-day,  and  lamented  to  them 
the  degeneracy  of  the  F'aith,  when  Christians  be- 
come Mussulmans  to  save  their  lives,  and  Mussul- 


Weart 


mans  become  the  followers  of  the  False  Prophet,  to 
save  their  property.  They  are  going  to  preach 
against  this,  but  I  fear  much  that  when  it  is  a  ques- 
tion between  Allah  and  their  goats,  &c.,  they  will  be 
inclined  to  look  after  their  goats,  as  a  rule.  I  am 
afraid  we   are   much   the  same,   and  would   prefer 

2*'  "  I  have  upset  so  many  vested  interests,  that  the  only  people  I 
can  count  on  are  the  Ulemas,  to  whom  I  gave  back  all  their  ancient 
privileges,  which  had  been  taken  away  from  them  by  Ismail  Pasha 
Yacoub."  —  Extract  from  General  Gordon's  Letter  dated  Kurtoum, 
May  ith,  1877.— Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  17 

50,000  men  at  our  backs,  tlian  any  Scripture  prom- 
ises ;  it  is  only  when  we  are  pushed  into  a  corner, 
and  cannot  get  the  50,000  men,  that  we  turn  to  the 
promises  —  at  least,  that  is  so  to  a  great  extent  with 
me.  There  is  no  doubt  that  success  makes  men  hard 
on  their  fellows,  while  misfortune  makes  them  soft. 
(One  has  only  to  study  the  demeanour  of  a  Cabinet 
Minister,  or  a  Colonel  while  in  office,  or  out  of  of- 
fice, to  be  convinced  of  this  truth.) 

I  do  not  believe  that  fanaticism  exists  as  it  used 
to  do  in  the  world,  judging  from  what  I  have  seen, 
in  this  so-called  fanatic  land.  It  is  far  more  a  ques- 
tion of  property,  and  is  more  like  communism  under 
the  flag  of  religion,  which  seems  to  excite  and  to 
give  colour  to  acts  which  men  would  otherwise  con- 
demn.^^ 

I  am  sure  it  is  unknown  to  the  generality  of  our 
missionaries  in  Muslim  countries,  that  in  the  Koran 
no  imputation  of  sin  is  made  on  our  Lord,  neither  is 
it  hinted  that  He  had  need  of  pardon,  and,  further, 
no  Muslim  can  deny  that  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
was  God  {vide  Chapter  HI.  of  Koran,  "  the  Family 
of  Tour  an  "),  and  that  He  was  incarnated  by  a  mir- 
acle. Our  bishops  content  themselves  with  its  being 
a  false  religion,  but  it  is  a  false  religion  professed 
by  millions  on  millions  of  our  fellow  creatures.  The 
Muslims  do  not  say  Mahomet  was  without  sin,  the 
Koran  often   acknowledges   that   he   erred,  but  no 

21  "If  fighting  occurs,  it  is  the  Soudanese  conservative  of  their  prop- 
erty fighting  the  Soudanese   communists,  who  desire  to  rob  tlieni."  — 
Extract  from  General  Gordon's  Memorandum  received  by  Sir  E,  Bar- 
ing, February  ith,  1884.  —  Egypt,  No.  12 — Ed. 
2 


18  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Muslim  will  say  "  Jesus  sinned^  As  far  as  self- 
sacrifice  of  the  body,  tliey  are  far  above  Roman 
Catholics,  and  consequently  above  Protestants.  It 
is  positive  trouble  when  one  calls  one's  servant  to  be 
continually  told  he  is  at  his  prayers,  and  one  cannot 
think  that  this  is  an  excuse,  for  it  can  be  no  pleasure 
to  be  in  a  constrained  position  for  a  considerable 
time,  unless  one  had  some  faith  in  those  prayers. 
The  God  of  the  Muslims  is  our  God.  And  they  do 
not  believe  that  Mahomet  exercises  any  mediatorial 
office  for  them.  They  believe  they  will  stand  and 
fall  by  their  own  deeds :  in  fact  they  are  as  much 
under  the  law  as  the  Jews. 

During  our  blockade,  we  have  often  discussed  the 
question  of  being  frightened,  which,  in  the  world's 
view,  a  man  should  never  be.  For  my  part  I  am 
always  frightened,  and  very  much  so.  I  fear  the 
future  of  all  engagements.^^  It  is  not  the  fear  of 
death,  that  is  past,  thank  God  ;  but  I  fear  defeat, 
and  its  consequences.  I  do  not  believe  a  bit  in  the 
cahn,  unmoved  man.  I  think  it  is  only  that  he  does 
not  show  it  outwardly.  Thence  I  conclude  no  com- 
mander of  forces  ought  to  live  closely  in  relation 
with  his  subordinates,  who  watch  him  like  lynxes, 
for  there  is  no  contagion  equal  to  that  of  fear.     I 

22  "  We  have,  thank  God,  passed  our  dangers.  Whether  they  were 
imaginary  or  not  I  do  not  know,  but  we  were  threatened  by  an  attack 
from  thousands  of  determined  blacks,  who  knew  I  was  here.  Now  very 
few  Enghshmen  know  what  it  is  to  be  with  troops  they  have  not  a  bit  of 
confidence  in.  I  prayed  heartily  for  an  issue,  but  it  gave  me  a  pain  in 
the  heart  like  that  I  had  when  surrounded  at  Masiudi.  I  do  not  fear 
death,  but  I  fear,  from  want  of  faith,  the  results  of  my  death  —  for  the 
whole  country  would  have  risen." — Extract  from  General  Gordon's 
Letter  dated  Toashh,  July  llth,  1877.  — Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  19 

have  been  rendered  furious,  when,  from  anxiety,  I 
could  not  eat,  I  would  find  those  at  same  table  were 
in  like  manner  affected. 

The  Greek  Consul  came  back  from  seeing  the 
Greek,  who  brought  a  letter  ^s  from  Waled  a  Goun, 
asking  me  to  surrender.  I  answered  as  per  mar- 
gin,2*  saying- 1  did  not  see  it.  The  Greek's  object 
was  to  get  us  to  surrender.  He  says  :  Lupton,^^  of 
Bahr  Gazelle,  has  come  down  to  Shaka,  with  his  men 
to  surrender,  and  that  Emin  Bey,  of  the  Equator,  is 
said  to  be  also  captured.  The  Greek  says,  "  Cuzzi 
left  yesterday  for  Berber.  Slatin  Bey  ^  was  in  Kor- 
dofan.  The  Mahdi  was  on  his  way  here."  Accord- 
ing to  the  Greek  Consul,  this  man  came  in  to  get 
money  for  the  Greek  prisoners,  and  for  little  else. 
I  have  left  the  Greek  Consul  to  do  what  he  likes 
with  regard  to  this. 

There  was  an  earthquake,  lasting  some  seconds, 
at  9  p.  M.  to-night ;  like  the  other  ones,  it  was  from 
south  to  north. 

When  one  thinks  of  the  enormous  loss  of  life 
which  has  taken  place  in  the  Soudan  since  1880, 
and  the  general  upset  of  all  government,  one  cannot 
help  feeling  vicious  against  Sir  Auckland  Colvin, 
Sir  Edward  Malet,  and  Sir  Charles  Dilke,  for  it  is 
on  account  of  those  three  men,  whose  advice  was 

23  Appendix  C. 

24  Appendix  C  1. 

25  Lupton  Bey  was  Governor  of  the  Bahr  el  Gazelle. 

2('  According  to  a  telegram  from  M.  Herbin  toM.  Barr^re,  Slatin  Bey, 
formerly  Governor  of  Darfour,  had  by  this  time  joined  the  Mahdi,  and 
by  him  had  been  placed  in  command  of  the  Kordofan  cavalry,  which 
force  was  supposed  to  represent  the  most  formidable  contingent  of  the 
Mahdi's  army Eu. 


20       GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

taken  by  Her  Majesty's  Government,  that  all  these 
sorrows  are  due.  They  went  in  for  the  bondholders, 
and  treated  as  chimerical  any  who  thought  differ- 
ently from  them.  ...  by  letting  Sir  Auckland  Col- 
vin  and  Sir  Edward  Malet  stay  in  Egy[3t  when  he 
went  there,  got  let  into  their  ways.  Time  has  shown 
the  residt  of  their  policy,  and  we  shall  hear  of  them 
no  more.  In  a  minor  degree  the  Times  corre- 
spondent at  Cairo  and  Alexandria  is  a  sinner,  for 
he  backed  them.  We  are  an  honest  nation,  but  our 
diplomatists  are  conies,  and  not  officially  honest. 

Se^Jtemher  13.  —  Sent  out  notifications  to  all  the 
authorities  in  Egypt  and  the  Soudan  to  search 
Cuzzi  closely,  for  I  think  he  is  an  emissary  of  the 
Mahdi ;  this  can  be  done  under  pretence  of  customs. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  Cuzzi  betrayed  Berber 
to  the  Arabs,  for  how  else  can  the  different  treat- 
ment he  received  from  the  Mahdi  from  all  other 
Europeans  be  accounted  for  ? 

Five  of  our  soldiers  captured  at  Obeyed  came  in 
to-day ;  they  report  the  Arabs  not  strong,  and  not 
meditating  immediate  action  (they  brought  their 
arms  with  them)  ;  they  say  the  Arabs  knew  of  our 
expedition  to  Berber. 

The  Ulemas  sent  a  letter  ^^  to  the  Mahdi  to-day  ; 
these  letters  are  interesting,  for  they  show  the  views 
of  these  people.  • 

The  steamers  are  reported  to  have  passed  the 
Shoboloha  defile  safely  ;  they  ought  to  be  at  Berber 
to-day. 

27  Appendix  D. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  21 

Note  that  I  do  not  call  our  enemy  rebels,  but 
Arabs,  for  it  is  a  vexed  question  whether  we  are  not 
rebels,  seeing  I  hold  the  firman  restoring  Soudan  to 
its  chiefs. 

The  Greek  who  came  in  yesterday  told  the  Greek 
Doctor  here  that  the  superior  of  the  mission  at 
Obeyed  alone  has  kept  his  faith  ;  his  name  is 
"  Luigi  Bonorni ;  "  the  other  priests  and  nuns  all 
have  become  Muslims  (so  he  says)  ;  the  nuns  have 
nominally  married  Greeks  to  save  themselves  from 
outrage.  He  says  Cuzzi  received  two  horses,  a  wife, 
a  slave,  and  f  60  ^^  from  the  Mahdi,  with  whom  he 
was  on  the  closest  terms  of  intimacy.  He  says  Slatin 
had  4000  ardebs^^  of  dhoora  and  1500  cows,  and 
plenty  of  ammunition  when  he  surrendered  ;  he  has 
been  given  eight  horses  by  the  Mahdi  (all  this  infor- 
mation must  be  taken  with  reserve).  The  Greeks 
here  made  up  X38  for  their  compatriots  in  captivity, 
and  the  Austrian  Consul  sent  $100  to  the  mission  at 
Obeyed.^''     I  gave  the  Greek  $5,  which  I  expect  was 

23  Dollars. 

29  An  ardeb  is  equal  to  five  bushels. 

^^  The  Names  of  Mission  at  Obeyed. 

Pretres  a  Kordofan. 

1.  Don  Luigi  Bonorni,  Superior. 

2.  Don  Guiseppe  Ohrwalder. 

3.  Don  Paulo  Nusignoli. 

4.  Fra  Isodoro  Locatelli. 

5.  Fra  Guiseppe  Regusto. 

Sos.urs. 

1.  Teresa  Grigolini,  Sujjerioress. 

2.  Fortunata  Corce. 

3.  Catarina  Chincherini. 

4.  Cometta  Corsi. 

5.  Elizabetta  Venturini. 

6.  Maria  Caprini. 


22  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

wasted,  and  I  doubt  if  the  Greek  will  not  keep  all 
the  money  he  has  received.  I  grudge  the  $20  I  gave 
Cuzzi,  for  I  expect  he  is  a  vile  traitor.  I  expect  he 
gave  the  Mahdi  all  the  ciphers ;  fortunately  he  had 
not  the  Foreign  Office  cipher,  which  Stewart  has 
carried  off.  Had  I  known  this  information  about 
Cuzzi  I  ought  to  have  decapitated  him,  but  it  is  as 
well  I  left  him  to  his  fate. 

If  what  the  Greek  says  is  true  about  the  apostasy 
of  all  but  Don  Luigi,  what  a  spectacle !  for  certainly 
these  people  came  to  this  country  with  more  faith 
than  those  that  stay  at  home  ;  they  could  not  expect 
any  comforts  in  it,  but  much  self-denial.  Some  of 
those  nuns  had  as  much  as  XIOOO  a  year,  which 
they  left  to  come  here.  Of  course  the  Greek's  state- 
ment is  open  to  much  doubt. 

Slatin's  name  is  Abdel  Kadi ;  Cuzzi 's  name  is 
Mahomet  Yusuf .  Mahdi  proposes  I  should  put  my- 
self, on  my  surrender(?)  under  Abou  Gugliz,  who  is 
a  notorious  breaker  of  the  dervish  rules.  I  forgot 
in  my  letter  to  remark  on  this.  It  appears  each  of 
these  men  have  a  spiritual  adviser  mth  them,  who 
acts  as  a  sj)y  as  well. 

Two  more  of  the  Obeyed  soldiers  escaped  this 
afternoon ;  they  say  the  Arabs  meditate  putting  a 
gain  on  the  Blue  Nile  above  Bourr^,  and  another  in 
front  of  south  front  of  lines,  with  the  idea  of  bom- 
barding the  town. 

Psammitichus  ^^  besieged  Azotus  or  Ashdod  for 
twenty-nine  years  (according  to  Herodotus).  What 
a  life  for  the  people  of  Azotus  !    One  is  tired  enough 

31  King  of  Egypt.  — El). 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  23 

of  this,  and  we  have  only  had  six  months  of  it. 
Azotiis  or  Ashdod  is  a  miserable  little  village  be- 
tween Jafa  (which,  by  the  way,  is  called  after 
Ja-pTiet^  the  son  of  Noah)  and  Gaza. 

The  black  soldiers  who  come  in  are  generally  old 
acquaintances  of  mine,  i.  e.  they  know  me,  while  their 
black  pug  faces  are  all  alike  to  me.  I  like  the  Chi- 
nese best,  then  the  pug-faced  blacks,  then  the  choco- 
late Soudan  people.  I  do  not  like  the  tallow-faced 
fellaheen,  though  I  feel  sorry  for  them. 

Ezekiel  xxix.  and  xxx.  are  interesting,  for  they 
show  Egypt  to  be  doomed  to  be  the  basest  of  king- 
doms, the  slave  of  kingdoms,  never  possessing  a 
ruler  of  its  own  race  (Mahomet  Ali  was  a  Sandjak^^ 
of  Salonica,  and  an  alien  to  this  land).  The  judg- 
ments on  this  land  are  on  account  of  its  cruelties  in 
respect  to  the  slave-trade.  Berber  (which  Colonel 
Stewart  ought  to  pass  to-night)  is  200  miles  from 
Merowe,  where  the  cataracts  cease,  thence  there  is 
open  water  to  Dongola,  150  miles  distant  from  Me- 
rowe ;  he  ought  there  to  find  the  telegraph  open, 
and  so  on  the  20th  of  September  he  ought  to  be  in 
communication  with  Cairo  and  Europe. 

One  thing  puzzles  me  is,  if  it  was  really  deter- 
mined to  abandon  the  Soudan  to  its  fate,  why  the 
people  of  Dongola  and  of  Senheit  were  not  with- 
drawn, when  the  determination  was  taken ;  there 
could  be  no  possible  object  for  keeping  the  peoples 
in  those  places.  I  think  if,  instead  of  '  Minor  Tac- 
tics,' or  books  on  art  of  war,  we  were  to  make  our 
young  officers  study  '  Plutarch's  Lives,'  it  would  be 

^•■i  The  commander  of  a  company.  —  Ki>. 


24  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

better ;  there  we  see  men  (unsupported  by  any  true 
belief,  pure  pagans),  making,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
their  lives  a  sacrifice,  but  in  our  days  it  is  the  high- 
est merit  not  to  run  away.  I  speak  for  myself  when 
I  say  I  have  been  in  dire  anxiety,  not  for  my  own 
skin,  but  because  I  hate  to  be  beaten,  and  I  hate  to 
see  my  schemes  fail ;  but  that  I  have  had  to  undergo 
a  tithe  of  what  any  nurse  has  to  undergo,  who  is 
attached  to  a  querulous  invalid,  is  absurd,  and  not 
to  be  weighed  together.  When  I  emerge  all  are 
complimentary ;  when  the  invalid  dies  the  question 
is,  what  should  be  given  to  the  nurse  for  her  ser- 
vices. We  profess  to  be  followers  of  our  Lord,  who, 
from  his  birth,  when  He  was  hunted,  till  his  death, 
may  be  said  to  have  had  no  sympathy  or  kindness 
shown  Him ;  yet  we  (and  I  say  myself  especially) 
cry  out  if  we  are  placed  in  any  position  of  suffering, 
whereas  it  is  our  metier,  if  we  are  Christians,  to  un- 
dergo such  suffering.  I  have  led  the  officers  and 
officials  the  lives  of  dogs  while  I  have  been  up  here ; 
it  is  spurs  in  their  flanks  every  day ;  nothing  can 
obliterate  this  ill-treatment  from  my  memory.  I 
may  say  that  I  have  not  given  them  a  moment's 
peace ;  they  are  conies,  but  I  ought  to  have  been 
more  considerate.  It  is  quite  painful  to  see  men 
tremble  so  when  they  come  and  see  me,  that  they 
cannot  hold  the  match  to  their  cigarette.  Yet  I 
have  cut  off  no  heads;  I  only  killed  two  Pashas, 
and  I  declare,  had  it  not  been  for  outside  influ- 
ences, those  two  Pashas  would  have  been  alive  now  ; 
they  were  judicially  murdered.^^     Happy,  as  far  as 

^  "  Surviving  Soudanese  declared  that  the  two  Pashas  in  command 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  25 

we  can  see,  are  those  men  who  swing  in  small  arcs  ; 
unhappy  are  those  who,  seeking  the  field  of  adven- 
ture, swing  from  the  extremes  of  evil  and  good. 
The  neutral  tint  is  the  best  for  wear. 

What  a  contradiction  is  life !  I  hate  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government  for  their  leaving  the  Soudan  after 
having  caused  all  its  troubles;  yet  I  believe  our 
Lord  rules  heaven  and  earth,  so  I  ought  to  hate 
Him,  which  I  (sincerely)  do  not. 

I  hear  Hansall,  the  Austrian  Consul,  is  disposed 
to  go  with  his  seven yemale  attendants  to  the  Arabs. 
I  hope  he  will  do  so. 

Heaps  of  cattle  come  in  every  day,  but  very  little 
grain.  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman  has  sent  word  to  his 
people  to  go  to  Kartoum  for  refuge  ;  this  is  pleasant 
for  us !   but  it  shows  his  confidence  in  our  future, 

charged  back  into  their  own  square  ;  the  soldiers,  recognizing  them, 
opened  their  ranks  to  let  them  through ;  and  into  the  gap  thus  made  the 
rebel  cavalry  followed.  The  treachery,  doubtless  pre-arranged,  was 
complete  in  its  success,  but  retribution  was  close  at  hand.  When  the 
battle  was  over  these  two  traitors,  Said  and  Hassan,  came  into  Gordon's 
tent,  and  the  General  offered  them  drink.  They  refused;  Gordon's 
secretary,  divining  the  reason,  drank  first,  and  the  Pashas,  who  had 
suspected  poison,  followed  suit.  During  the  remainder  of  that  day  they 
lay  hidden  in  their  homes,  for  the  soldiers  were  crying  aloud  for  ven- 
geance, and  would  have  murdered  them  at  once  had  they  appeared  in 
the  streets.  The  next  day  they  were  tried  by  court-martial,  and  found 
guilty  of  communication  with  the  enemy,  and  of  having  treacheroush' 
murdered  their  own  men.  In  the  house  of  Hassan  a  great  store  of  rifles 
and  ammunition  was  discovered;  and  it  was  proved  that  both  he  and 
his  colleague  had  stolen  the  two  months'  pay  given  to  the  troops  on  ac- 
count of  six  months'  arrears.  Tiiey  had  also  taken  into  the  field  with 
them  seventj'  rounds  of  cannon  ammunition,  instead  of  eight,  the  usual 
number,  so  that  the  rebels'  guns  might  be  well  supplied  for  future  at- 
tacks on  Kartoum.  The  trial  was  long  and  patient,  but  the  verdict  was 
apparent  from  the  beginning.  Hassan  and  Said  were  found  guilty,  and 
on  the  same  evening,  amid  expressions  of  universal  delight,  they  were 
shot  by  the  men  thej'  had  betrayed."  —  The  Story  of  Chinese  Gordon, 
pp.  92-3,  V.  ii.— Ed. 


26  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

and  it  is  a  great  honour  to  me,  who  (thank  God)  am 
given  faith  to  outspeak  "  I  am  a  Christian,"  to  have 
obtained  such  confidence  from  a  man,  who  would,  in 
the  times  of  my  glory,  scarcely  look  at  me. 

One  of  his  (Seyd  Mahomet  Osman's)  men  going 
down  to  Shendy  (where  his  sister,  a  very  plucky 
woman,  lives)  was  taking  down  a  pair  of  slippers  for 
her,  and  he  brought  them  here ;  I  wrote  my  name 
on  the  inside  of  each,  and  told  him  to  tell  the  "  Sitt," 
or  lady,  when  she  put  them  on,  she  put  her  claw  on 
my  head ;  the  man  came  back  the  other  day,  and 
said  the  "  Sitt "  was  delighted  with  the  idea. 

What  a  row  the  Pope  will  make  about  the  nuns 
marrying  the  Greeks !  It  is  the  union  of  the  Greek 
and  Latin  churches. 

September  14.  —  Yesterday  evening  the  Arabs 
fired  four  cannon  shots  towards  lines  on  south  front, 
but  they  did  not  reach  the  fortifications. 

Halfeyeh  ^*  reports  the  assembly  of  the  Arabs, 
with  a  view  to  attacking  that  place.  A  party  has 
gone  out  to  see  what  truth  there  is  in  this  report. 

Four  other  men  came  in  from  the  Arabs  to-day ; 
they  had  little  to  say,  beyond  that  the  Arabs  meant 
to  maintain  a  blockade,  and  not  to  attack  directly. 

The  Arabs  killed  four  soldiers  who  tried  to  es- 
cape, but  those  who  came  in  say  this  will  not  stop 
their  coming. 

A  man  I  sent  out  to  Waled  Mocashee,  who  fousfht 
with  Waled  a  Goun  (vide  Stewart's  Journal),  was 
caught  with  my  letters  by  Arabs,  and  was  on  the  eve 

^  t.  e.  Natives  from  Halfeyeh  report.  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  27 

of  being  hung,  when  my  letter  arrived,  in  which  I 
remonstrated  with  the  Arabs  for  ill-treating  my  mes- 
sengers, on  which  they  pardoned  him,  and  let  him 
go.  This  man  says  the  Greek,  who  came  into  the 
lines  yesterday,  was  sent  off  to  Kordofan  on  his  re- 
turn to  the  Arab  camp.  The  Arabs  woidd  have 
been  quite  justified  in  executing  the  man  above  al- 
luded to,  for  he  was  a  genuine  spy ;  my  remonstrance 
to  them  was  with  respect  to  their  treatment  of  direct 
messengers  I  sent  to  them ;  there  is  considerable 
doubt  that  even  Waled  Mocashee  ever  did  fight  with 
Waled  a  Goun. 

In  my  letter  to  Sheikh  Abdel  Kader,  I  proposed 
to  hun  to  come  in  and  see  me ;  the  Arab  chiefs  asked 
him  to  go,  but  he  would  not;  it  is  well  known  we 
have  refused  to  give  in. 

If  it  is  possible  to  get  rid  of  the  bitter  feelings  ex- 
isting between  the  two  great  sections  of  the  Soudan 
people,^^  it  will  go  a  great  way  to  pacify  the  country  ; 
by  degrees  this  may  be  done. 

Meat  has  fallen  from  10s.  per  lb.  to  2.s.  per  lb. 

The  steamer  Toicjihia,  which  went  up  the  Blue 
Nile  to  Giraffe,  fell  on  the  Arabs,  and  drove  them 
off  from  collecting  grass  and  wood  (one  is  thankful 
for  small  mercies  in  these  times). 

The  word  "  Islam  "  means  the  resigning  or  devot- 
ing oneself  entirely  to  God  and  his  service,  i.  e.  self- 
sacrifice  :  consequently  a  true  Christian  is  of  the 
Islam  religion,  as  far  as  the  name  goes  (this  is  Sale's 
translation  of  the  word  Islam). 

It  is  curious  how  quick  the  people  forget  their  dis- 
asters and  losses ;  it  is  only  ten  days  ago  that  we 

85  Those  for,  and  those  against  the  Mahdi.  — Ed. 


28  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

lost  in  killed  nearly  one  thousand  men,  yet  no  one 
speaks  of  it  now ;  it  takes  about  four  or  six  days  to 
obliterate  the  bitterness  of  a  disaster. 

The  old  bugbear  of  the  defection  of  the  Shaggyeh 
has  sprung  up  again.  Saleh  Pasha,  who  is  a  pris- 
oner with  the  Mahdi,  has  written  to  his  brother  to 
say  he  and  the  Mahdi  are  coming,  and  that  he  is  not 
to  join  me.  These  sort  of  things,  which  are  taken 
up  as  gospel  truth  by  those  around  me,  are  one  of 
the  most  disagreeable  parts  of  my  position ;  those 
who  will  one  day  declare  that  the  Shaggyeh  are 
faithful  will  two  days  after  urge  one  to  take  the 
sharpest  measures  of  repression  against  them,  which 
is,  to  my  mind,  just  the  way  to  push  them  into  rebel- 
lion, if  they  had  any  tendency  that  way  (I  mean  by 
rebellion,  joining  the  Arabs). 

Saleh  Pasha's  brother  came  in  to-day  to  see  me ; 
he  has  heard  that  his  brother  is  with  the  Mahdi  at 
Schatt,  a  place  inland  from  Duem,  on  White  Nile. 
He  seems  to  think  this  is  authentic ;  if  so,  we  shall 
have  the  Mahdi  here  ere  long;  he  has  been  there 
nine  days. 

The  news  of  the  near  approach  of  the  Mahdi  has 
not  troubled  me,  for  if  he  fails  he  is  lost,  and  there 
will  be  no  necessity  for  an  expedition  to  Kordofan  ; 
if  he  succeeds,  he  may,  by  his  presence,  prevent  any 
massacre.  I  have  always  felt  we  were  doomed  to 
come  face  to  face  ere  the  matter  was  ended. 

I  toss  up  in  my  mind,  whether,  if  the  place  is 
taken,  to  blow  up  the  palace  and  all  in  it,  or  else  to 
be  taken,  and,  with  God's  help,  to  maintain  the 
faith,  and  if  necessary  to  suffer  for  it  (which  is  most 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  29 

probable).  The  blowing  up  of  the  palace  is  the 
simplest,  while  the  other  means  long  and.  weary  suf- 
fering and  humiliation  of  all  sorts.  I  think  I  shall 
elect  for  the  last,  not  from  fear  of  death,  but  because 
the  former,  has  more  or  less  the  taint  of  suicide,  as  it 
can  do  no  good  to  any  one,  and  is,  in  a  way,  taking 
things  out  of  God's  hands. 

Schatt  is  twenty  miles  inland  from  Duem,  which 
is  one  hundred  miles  from  here,  on  left  bank  of 
White  Nile. 

The  Greek  who  came  in  told  the  Greek  Consul 
that  the  Mahdi  puts  pepper  under  his  nails,  and 
when  he  receives  visitors  then  he  touches  his  eyes 
and  weeps  copiously ;  that  he  eats  a  few  grains  of 
dhoora  openly,  but  in  the  intei-ior  of  the  house  he 
has  fine  feeding  and  drinks  alcoholic  drinks. 

The  Greek  says  the  Mahdi  has  lots  of  letters  from 
Cairo,^^  Stamboul,  and  India ;  that  his  constant  con- 
versation is  Kartoum,  and  his  chance  of  its  capture. 

After  this  pepper  business !  I  think  I  shall  drop 
any  more  trouble  in  writing  him  letters,  trying  to 
convince  or  persuade  him  to  reasonable  measures. 

The  Greek  told  the  Greek  Consul  that  the  Mahdi 
was  perplexed  to  know  what  on  earth  I  was  doing 
up  here,  as  I  had  no  part  or  lot  in  the  Soudan.  I 
expect  this  question  is  more  perplexing  for  others 
than  the  Mahdi  (myself  included).  I  must  confess 
that  the  pepper  business  has  sickened  me  ;    I  had 

36  "I  strongly  suspect  that  he  (the  Mahdi)  is  a  mere  puppet  put  for- 
ward by  Elyas,  Zubair's  father-in-law,  and  the  largest  slave-owner  ia 
Obeyed,  and  that  he  has  assumed  a  religious  title  to  give  colour  to  the 
defence  of  the  popular  rights."  —  General  Gordon's  View  as  expresstd  to 
the  Editor  of  "Pall  Mall  Gazette"  on  Jan.  8,  1884.  — Kd. 


30  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

hitherto  hoped  I  had  to  do  with  a  regular  fanatic, 
who  believed  in  his  mission,  but  when  one  comes  to 
pepper  in  the  finger  nails,  it  is  rather  humiliating  to 
have  to  succumb  to  him,  and  somehow  I  have  the 
belief  that  I  shall  not  have  to  do  so.  One  cannot 
help  being  amused  at  this  pepper  business.  Those 
who  come  in,  for  pardon,  come  in  on  their  knees, 
with  a  halter  round  their  neck.  The  Mahdi  rises, 
having  scratched  his  eyes  and  obtained  a  copious 
flow  of  tears,  and  takes  off  the  halter !  As  the  pro- 
duction of  tears  is  generally  considered  the  proof  of 
sincerity,  I  would  recommend  the  Mahdi' s  recipe  to 
Cabinet  Ministers,  justifying  some  job.  The  nails 
(so  say  the  Greeks)  must  be  long !  to  contain  the 
pepper. 

September  15.  —  Another  escaped  soldier  came  in 
this  morning ;  reports  that  they  are  waiting  orders 
of  the  Mahdi,  and  do  not  mean  to  attack  the  lines. 
Charity  thinketh  no  evil.  She  was  not  in  the  Sou- 
dan, for  I  declare,  what  with  the  tricks  of  the  offi- 
cials here,  Charity  would  have  had  a  bad  time  of  it. 

They  say  the  Mahdi,  when  he  goes  out  and  sees 
a  woman  carrying  a  jar  of  water,  rushes  at  her  and 
begs  to  be  allowed  to  carry  the  water.  He  rushes 
up  to  the  Sitt^''  even  as  I  do,  only  I  have  not  tried 
the  water-carrying. 

It  appears  that  the  pepper  business  is  of  old  date 
in  the  Soudan,  and  not  invented  by  the  Mahdi. 

The  strength  of  eastern  potentates  is  the  seclusion 
they  live  in ;  they  are  sacred.    Once  they  are  known, 

8T  A  woman.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  31 

they  are  done  for,  and  perhaps  the  Mahdi  coming 
here  will  do  for  him.  As  long  as  he  could  put  the 
misdeeds  of  his  subordinates  on  them,  he  was  all 
right,  but  when  the  people  see  that  he  does  nothing 
to  rectify  wrongs,  his  prestige  ought  to  go. 

This  afternoon  one  of  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman's 
family  came  up  from  Shendy ;  he  rej)orts  the  Stew- 
art expedition  having  passed  Shendy,^^  that  they 
captured  a  large  boat  with  grain  and  twenty-four 
slaves,  which  was  collecting  taxes  for  the  Arabs.  He 
reports  as  true  the  arrival  of  troops  at  Dongola; 
that  the  Mudir  of  Dongola  has  quieted  his  province ; 
that  the  Arab  chief  Mahomet  el  Khair,  of  Berber, 
on  hearing  troops  had  come  to  Dongola,  sent  round 
to  collect  the  Arabs,  promising  them  820  a  month ; 
half  responded  to  the  call,  and  came  to  Berber  and 
asked  for  their  pay.  Mahomet  el  Khair  sent  them 
to  a  house  where  he  said  the  money  was  (the  Gov- 
ernment money,  the  celebrated  £60,000  which  was 
given  to  me  at  Cairo !)  When  they  entered  the 
house,  no  money  was  found,  and  Mahomet  el  Khair 
explained  it  by  saying  the  devil  had  caused  it  to 
enter  the  earth!  He  then  pretended  that  the  Mahdi 
had  sent  for  him,  and  bolted.  He  seems  to  have 
seen  he  could  not  hold  out.  If  he  goes  to  the  Mahdi, 
and  does  not  account  in  some  better  way  for  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  money,  I  fear  it  will  go  hard  with 
him,  for  the  Mahdi,  although  he  allows  certain  free- 
dom in  miraculous  events,  is  likely  to  be  chary  in 
allowing  such  events  among  his  followers,  especially 
when  they  affect  his  pocket. 

3:*  Shendy  is  ninety-five  miles  from  Kartoum.  — Ed. 


32  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Another  captured  soldier  escaped  and  came  in. 
He  says  the  Ai-abs  begin  to  notice  these  diminutions 
of  their  men,  and  to  be  very  strict.  Nearly  all  the 
soldiers  knew  me  personally  in  Darfour. 

As  for  the  £60,000  which  has  been  lost  and  stolen 
by  Soudan  Arabs,  it  is  only  a  tithe  of  what  has  been 
stolen  from  the  Soudan  by  the  Egyptian  Pashas, 
that  effete  race,  so  I  do  not  regret  it. 

We  hope  to  finish  another  of  those  small  steamers 
in  twenty  days,  like  the  Abbas  (which  went  down  to 
Dongola  with  Stewart),  and  in  another  forty  days 
to  complete  another  one.  This  will  complete  the 
four  steamers  bought  by  Colonel  Prout  ^^  in  1878 ; 
one  of  them,  the  3Iahomet  AH,  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
Arabs,  having  been  surrendered  by  Saleh  Bey. 

I  should  not  be  surprised  if  Berber  surrendered 
to  Stewart's  expedition.  It  was  a  miserable  defence 
it  made,  and  the  peoj)le  were  never  very  much  in- 
clined for  the  Mahdi.  I  cannot  help  thinking  Cuzzi 
was  at  the  bottom  of  its  surrender. 

The  TowfiMa  steamer  went  up  above  Giraffe  to- 
day, fired  on  some  Arabs  and  captured  a  cow.  Four 
of  the  captured  soldiers  of  Obeyed  escaped  here  ; 
they  had  little  to  say,  beyond  that  they  had  been 
very  miserable,  and  that  the  Arabs  hoped  we  would 
surrender. 

I  sincerely  hope  that  Berber  will  surrender  to  Stew- 
art's party ;  it  would  be  a  great  feather  in  his  cap. 

The  majority  of  the  soldiers  who  come  in  bring 
their  rifles. 

39  Colonel  Proiit  was  appointed  by  General  Gordon  to  the  command 
of  the  Equatorial  Provinces  at  the  date  of  the  latter' s  resignation  in  the 
autumn  of  187G.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  33 

Haunting  tlie  palace  are  a  lot  of  splendid  hawks. 
I  often  wonder  whether  they  are  destined  to  pick 
my  eyes,  for  I  fear  I  was  not  the  best  of  sons.^ 

"  Enough  for  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof,"  but  I 
cannot  help  feeling  appalled  at  what  is  to  happen ; 
even  if  we  do  manage  to  extricate  Kartoum  from  its 
troubles,  we  will  have  to  quiet  down  all  the  coun- 
tries around  Sennaar  and  Kassala,  and  to  withdraw 
from  the  Bahr  Gazelle,  and  Equator  (for  I  do  not 
believe  the  Greek's  story  about  those  lands  being 
evacuated).  Then  comes  the  question  of  whether 
the  prisoners  in  Kordofan  are  to  be  left  to  their 
fate.  If  Her  Majesty's  Government  has  entered 
the  field  this  is  impossible,  and  if  Her  Majesty's 
Government  prevent  Egypt  extricating  them,  then 
it  is  virtually  Her  Majesty's  Government  who  leaves 
them  to  their  fate.  Besides  this,  there  is  the  terri- 
ble outlay  of  money  (which  has  to  be  met)  for  cur- 
rent expenses.  Also  who  is  to  govern  the  country. 
All  idea  of  evacuation  en  masse  must  be  given  up, 
it  is  totally  impossible,  and  the  only  solution  is  to 
let  the  Turks  come  in,  or  else  to  leave  me  here,  the 
very  thought  of  which  makes  me  shudder,  or  to 
send  up  Zubair  Pasha  ;  ^^  in  both  cases  a  subsidy  of 
,£100,000  is  needed  per  annum. 

September  16.  —  The  man  left  in  charge  of  the 

40  *'  The  eye  that  mocketh  at  his  father  and  despiseth  to  obey  his 
mother,  the  ravens  of  the  valley  shall  pick  it  out,  and  the  young  eagles 
shall  eat  it."  — Prov.  xxx.  17. 

41  Zubair  is  the  correct  spelling.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  Zu- 
bair is  of  very  high  famih^,  being  a  direct  descendant  of  the  "  Abbas- 
sides."  — Ed. 

3 


34  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Roman  Catholic  Mission's  garden  is  furious  with 
the  Austrian  Consul  for  taking  those  $100  he  sent 
to  the  captives  at  Obeyed.  He  says  that  had  he 
known  they  had  become  Muslim  he  would  have 
sent  them  poison.  The  $100  came  from  the  sale  of 
produce  of  the  garden.  Whether  his  anger  is  owing 
to  his  bigotry,  or  to  the  having  to  give  up  the  $100, 
is  a  question.  He  says  he  cannot  leave,  for  he  is 
in  charge  of  the  Bishop's  robes.  I  expect  he  holds 
on  to  the  garden,  whose  dates  alone  sold  for  over 
$1600. 

A  woman  escaped  from  the  Arabs  this  morning. 

The  notes  to  Sale's  Koran,  chapter  xix.,  entitled 
"  Mary,"  are  very  interesting,  as  containing  the  Mus- 
lim view  of  our  Lord's  conception.  The  sixteenth 
chapter  of  Koran,  entitled  "  the  Bee,"  is  considered 
to  allow  Muslims  to  apostatise,  if  forced  by  violence 
to  do  so  (vide  Sale's  notes  with  regard  to  Moseila- 
ma),  though  it  is  more  meritorious  not  to  do  so.  So 
the  Muslim  here  are  well  off  in  this  respect,  vis-a- 
vis the  Mahdi. 

Faki  Mustapha,  who  commanded  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  White  Nile,  and  who  retired  into  the  interior, 
was  expected  to  come  over  to  us.  He  however  has 
written  a  letter  ^^  in  abusive  terms  to  Cassim  el 
Mousse,  in  which  he  maintains  that  Mahomet  Ach- 
met  is  the  Mahdi.  Another  soldier  came  in  with 
two  rifles.  The  Toirjikia  went  up  the  Blue  Nile,  and 
took  on  board  two  runaway  slaves.  Another  man 
came  in  with  a  letter  from  a  man  who  is  a  prisoner 
with  the   Arabs,  which  letter    says  positively  that 

^  Appendix  E. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  35 

22,000  troops  are  at  Dongola,  and  that  the  Mudir 
of  Dongola  is  at  Merowe,  and  is  pushing  on  his 
men. 

The  soldier  who  brought  in  tico  rifles  accounts 
for  it  by  saying  he  stai'ted  with  his  comjjanion  to 
come  ;  that  his  companion  got  frightened  and  dreaded 
to  delay,  so  they  sat  down  and  his  companion  went 
to  sleep  ;  so  my  friend  thought  it  was  time  to  be  off, 
and  that  it  was  as  well  to  take  his  comrade's  rifle 
with  him !  ! 

Septemher  17.  —  I  have  the  strongest  suspicion 
that  these  tales  of  troops  at  Dongola  and  Merow^ 
are  all  gas-works,  and  that  if  you  wanted  to  find 
Her  Majesty's  forces  you  would  have  to  go  to  Shep- 
heard's  Hotel  at  Cairo.*^ 

The  reports  of  the  advance  which  we  get  from 
Seyd  Osman  are  never  supported  by  any  written 
evidence  from  Dongola,  and  I  expect  they  are 
invented.  Whether  the  resurrection  of  Stewart, 
Power,  and  Herbin  will  have  any  effect  remains  to 
be  seen,  but,  ill-natured  or  not,  it  is  my  firm  im- 
pression that  Her  Majesty's  Government  will  be 
most  disagreeably  surprised  by  their  emerging. 

If  Stewart  gets  down,  he  ought  to  be  in  communi- 
cation with  Europe  on  the  22nd  of  September,  and 
Power's  telegrams  ought  to  be  in  the  Times  23rd 
September.  It  makes  me  laugh  to  think  of  the 
flutter  in  the  dovecot  which  will  follow.  '•''That  beast- 
ly Soudan  again  I "     (Africa  has  indeed    been  a 

^  Lord  Wolseley  and  staff  left  Cairo  for  Wady  Haifa  ten  days  after 
Gordon  wrote  those  words.  —  Ed. 


36  GEXERAL    GOBDON'S  JOURNAL. 

"  beast "  to  our  ooimti'v.  as  one  of  Dickens's  eliar- 
ac'ters  called  it.) 

Egerton's  telegram  ^  carefullT  wi'itten  in  cipher 
(and  equally  carefully  without  date,  but  which  we 
ascribe  to  Juue\  respecting  the  contracts  to  be  en- 
tered into  "«"ith  the  Bedouin  tribes  to  escort  us  down 
("and  be  sure  to  look  after  yourself"!^  might  have 
been  as  well  wi'itteu  in  Arabic,  it  would  have  pro- 
duced hilarir\-  with  the  Mahdi.  Two  escaped  sol- 
diers came  in  with  little  news,  they  came  wdth  their 
arms. 

A  man  came  in  fi-om  visiting  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed. 
He  says  that  the  Arabs  lost  very  few  in  their  attack 

**  Lord  Granville  on  May  IT,  1SS4,  instructed  Mr.  Egeilon  to  com- 
mnnicate  the  following  message  from  Her  Majesty's  Government  to 
General  Gordon  :  — 

"  Having  regard  to  the  time  -which  has  elapsed,  Her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment desire  to  add  to  their  communication  of  the  23rd  April  as  fol- 
lows: As  the  original  plan  for  the  evacuation  of  the  Soudan  has  been 
dropped,  and  as  aggressive  oj>erations  cannot  be  undertaken  with  the 
countenance  of  Her  Majesty's  Government,  General  Gordon  is  enjoined 
to  consider  and  either  to  report  upon,  or,  if  feasible,  to  adopt,  at  the  first 
proper  moment,  measures  for  his  own  removal  and  for  that  of  the  Eg^-j)- 
tians  at  Kartoum  who  have  suffered  for  him  or  who  have  served  him 
faithfully,  including  their  wives  and  children,  by  whatever  route  he  may 
consider  best,  having  especial  regard  to  his  own  safety  and  that  of  the 
other  British  subjects. 

"  With  regard  to  the  Egyptians  above  referred  to,  General  Gordon  is 
authorised  to  make  free  use  of  money  rewards  or  promises  at  his  discre- 
tion. For  example,  he  is  at  liberty  to  assign  to  Egyptian  soldiers  at 
Kartoum  smns  for  themselves  and  for  persons  brought  with  them  per 
head,  contingent  on  their  safe  arrival  at  Korosko,  or  whatever  point  he 
may  consider  a  place  of  safety  ;  or  he  may  employ  and  pay  the  tribes 
in  the  neighbourhood  to  escort  them.  Her  Majesty's  Government  pre- 
sume that  the  Soudanese  at  Kartoum  are  not  In  danger.  In  the  event 
of  General  Gordon  having  dispatched  any  persons  or  agents  to  other 
points,  he  is  authorised  to  spend  any  money  required  for  the  purpose  of 
recalling  them  or  securing  their  safety."  —  Egypt,  22, 1884,  No.  22.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  37 

on  Mahomet  Ali  Pasha ;  that  they  will  wait  till  the 
river  falls  ere  they  try  and  close  in  on  Kartomn. 

The  righteous  indignation  expressed  on  the  pub- 
lication of  that  slave  circular,  which  did  nothing 
more  than  say  "that  the  treaty  of  1877  (declaring 
that  the  slaves  would  not  be  allowed  to  he  sold  after 
1887)  would  not  be  put  in  force,"  is  rather  amusing 
to  think  over  (a  pact  v^lth  the  devii,  as,  I  dare  say, 
some  called  it),  when  one  thinks  that  the  probability 
is  the  whole  country  will  be  a  nest  of  slave  hunteis 
and  banditti. 

They  say  the  Mahdi  means  to  take  up  his  quarters 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  NUe,  so  as  to  have  his  retreat 
clear  to  Kordofan  in  case  of  accidents. 

The  Toxrfihia  steamer  went  up  the  Blue  Xile,  and 
found  the  Arabs  near  Giraffe,  with  three  guns, 
which  fired  five  or  sis  rounds  at  the  steamer,  but 
did  no  harm. 

The  pomp  of  Egerton's  telegram,  informing  me 
*'  that  Her  Majesty's  Government  would  (really !) 
pay  on  delivery  so  much  a  head  for  all  refugees  de- 
livered  on  Egyptian  frontier,  and  would  (^positively, 
it  is  incredible !)  reward  tribes  with  whom  I  might 
contract  with,  to  escort  them  down." 

It  was  too  generous  for  one  to  believe  !  Egerton's 
chivalrous  nature  must  have  got  the  better  of  his 
diplomatic  training  when  he  wrote  it !  The  clerks 
in  my  divan,  to  whom  I  disclosed  it,  are  full  of  ex- 
clamations of  wonder  at  this  generositv !  Eg^erton 
must  consider  that  I  was  a  c-omplete  idiot  to  have 
needed  such  a  permission.  I  hope  he  will  get  pro- 
moted, and  will  not  be  blamed  for  his  overstraining 
his  instructions  I 


38  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Another  soldier  escaped  with  his  wife  ;  he  says : 
The  Arabs  brought  three  guns  down  to  cover  their 
foraging  party,  and  have  taken  tliem  back,  which  is 
a  relief  to  me. 

I  own  to  a  great  fear  that  Stewart's  Journal  will 
not  be  published  in  extenso^  but  will  be  doctored ; 
if  so,  it  is  a  great  pity,  for  there  are  lots  of  nice 
things  in  it.  For  really  it  is  my  journal  as  much  as 
Stewart's,  though  he  wrote  it. 

When  the  escaped  soldiers  come  in,  they  pay  me 
a  visit,  and  are  given  a  dollar,  made  to  look  at  their 
black  pug  faces  in  the  mirrors,  which  are  in  the 
palace,  and  asked  their  opinion  of  the  reflections. 
Some  stare  with  wide  open  eyes,  for  they  have  never 
seen  themselves  before.  They  generally  approve  of 
the  reflections,  especially  the  black  sluts,  who  think 
themselves  "Venuses,"  and  shove  their  hands  into 
their  mouths,  which  is  a  general  sign  among  blacks 
of  great  modesty,  like  the  casting  down  of  the  eyes 
with  us. 

Faki  Mustapha's  letter  ^^  caused  great  commotion 
among  the  Ulemas,  for  he  says,  "  He  will  destroy 
the  Korans,  and  shut  the  mosques,  and  listen  only  to 
the  Mahdi." 

There  is  a  tone  in  Egerton's  telegram  ^^  which 
grates  on  me  ;  it  is,  to  /ne,  as  if  he  said,  "  You  have 
got  into  a  mess,  and  although  you  do  not  deserve  it, 
I  am  willing  to  stretch  a  point  in  your  favour,  and 
authorise  you,"  &c.  And  in  the  previous  part  (the 
author  unknown)  of  the  telegram,  it  is  as  if  I  was 

^5  Appendix  E. 

^8  i.  e.  The  telegram  given  on  page  36.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  39 

enjoying  this  wretched  fighting  up  here.  I  declare 
it  is  Egerton  and  Co.  who  made  the  mess,  and  would 
like  to  hang  its  fabrication  and  solution  on  me,  not 
that  I  mind  the  burthen,  if  they  did  not  send  such 
telegrams  (the  Co.  are  Malet  and  Colvin).'*^ 

I  must  say  I  do  not  love  Diplomatists  as  a  rule 
(and  I  can  fancy  the  turning  up  of  noses  at  my  ven- 
turing to  express  an  opinion  of  them),  I  mean  in 
their  official  attire,  for,  personally,  the  few  I  know 
are  most  agreeable  (and  I  specially  except  Alston, 
the  chief  clerk,  and  Weller,  the  hall  porter,  who 
has,  of  late  years,  become  quite  amiable)  ;  but  tak- 
ing them  on  their  rostrums,  with  their  satellites, 
from  their  chiefs  down  to  the  smaller  fry,  no  one  can 
imagine  a  more  unsatisfactory  lot  of  men  to  have 
anything  to  do  with.  I  have  seen  ...,.,.,..., 
.  .  .,  at  different  times,  and  when  one  left  their  au- 
gust presences,  one  marvelled  at  the  policy  of  Great 
Britain  being  in  such  hands.  Lord  Hammond  was 
a  Tartar,  and  one  knew  he  was  to  be  respected. 

One  would  not  so.  much  mind  if  they  did  not  in- 
oculate with  their  virus  those  who  get  employed  by 
them,  but  I  have  found  Stokes  of  the  Suez  Canal, 
Wilson  of  Anatolia,  and  many  others  (I  may  say 
Stewart),  all  impregnated  with  their  ideas  of  sun 
worship  and  expediency.  I  own  to  having  read 
with  pleasure  the  '  Queen's  Messenger '  till  Lord 
Carrington  stopped  its  publication,  and  Marvin's 
work  on  Public  Offices. 

A  man  has  come  in  who  says  Ste^rt  and  his 
steamers  have  captured  a  large  convoy  of  two  hun- 

••T  See  ante,  note  on  page  36.  —  Ed. 


40  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

dred   camel-loads  of    stuff  belonging  to  the  Arabs. 
They  had  passed  Shendy,  and  had  not  been   fired 
upon. 
The  Mahdi  will  be  furious. 

I  do  not  think  the  resources  of  this  place  are  known. 
We  can  turn  out  50,000  rounds  of  Remington  am- 
munition a  week,  there  are  some  10,000  rounds  of 
mountain-gun  ammunition  in  store,  and  if  the  INIahdi 
takes  Kartoum  (which  wdll  entail  the  fall  of  every 
town  in  Soudan)  it  will  need  a  large  force  to  stay 
his  propaganda.  According  to  the  Greek  he  medi- 
tates an  invasion  of  Egypt  and  Palestine,  where 
they  are  all  ready  to  rise.^^  All  the  steamers  on 
the  Nile,  even  below  Assouan,  are  but  crockery,  if 
struck  by  a  mountain-gun  shell ;  consequently,  if  the 
people  rose  at  Esneh  they  could,  by  the  Mahdi  send- 
ing down  two  guns,  stop  the  river.  The  further 
the  Mahdi  is  off  from  the  peoj^le  who  rise,  the  stron- 
gs "  The  danger  to  be  feared  is  not  that  the  Mahdi  will  march  north- 
ward through  Wad_v  Haifa;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  very  improbable  that 
he  will  ever  go  so  far  north.  The  danger  is  altogether  of  a  different 
nature.  It  arises  from  the  influence  which  the  spectacle  of  a  conquering 
Mahommedan  Power,  established  close  to  your  frontiers,  will  exercise 
upon  the  po])uiation  which  you  govern.  In  all  the  cities  in  Egypt  it  will 
be  felt  that  what  the  Mahdi  has  done  they  may  do  ;  and,  as  he  has  driven 
out  the  intruder  and  the  infidel,  they  may  do  the  same.  Nor  is  it  only 
England  that  has  to  face  this  danger.  The  success  of  the  Mahdi  has  al- 
ready excited  dangerous  fermentation  in  Arabia  and  Syria.  Placards 
have  been  posted  in  Damascus  calling  upon  the  population  to  rise  and 
drive  out  the  Turks.  If  the  whole  of  the  Eastern  Soudan  is  surren- 
dered to  the  Mahdi,  the  Arab  tribes  on  both  sides  the  Red  Sea  will  take 
fire.  In  self-defence  the  Turks  are  bound  to  do  something  to  cope  with 
so  formidable  aroanger,  for  it  is  quite  possible  that  if  nothing  is  done 
the  whole  of  the  Eastern  Question  may  be  reopened  by  the  triumph  of 
the  Mahdi.  "  — General  Gordon's  views,  as  expressed  to  the  Editor  of  the 
''Pall  Mall  Gazette."  —'Ely. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  41 

ger  he  is ;  here  we  are  near  him,  and  hear  all  about 
his  festivities  and  pepper  business ;  at  Esneh  this 
would  be  lost  in  the  mists  of  distance,  still  more  so 
at  Cairo  and  in  Palestine.  What  have  we  done  in 
Lower  Egypt  to  make  them  like  us  ?  Not  a  single 
thing.  We  have  foisted  Europeans  on  them  to  the 
extent  of  ,£450,000  a  year ;  we  have  not  reduced 
taxes,  only  improved  the  way  of  extorting  those 
taxes.  The  Mahdi  says,  "  I  will  take  one-tenth  of 
your  produce,  and  I  will  rid  you  of  the  '  dogs  '  "  — 
a  most  captivating  programme  !  If  well  led,  and 
once  he  takes  Kartoum,  the  combined  forces  of 
France  and  England  will  not  be  able  to  subdue  him, 
unless  they  go  at  his  nest.  From  a  j^^'of^ssional 
military  point  of  vieiv,  and  sjjeaking  materially,  I 
wish  I  was  the  Mahdi,  and  I  would  laugh  at  all  Eu- 
rope. Query  (  believing  all  the  above  as  I  do)  — 
would  I  be  justified  in  coming  to  terms  with  Mahdi, 
on  the  vmderstanding  that  he  should  let  down  all 
refugees  (on  the  Egerton  contract  arrangement), 
while  I  should  give  over  to  him,  unhurt,  all  warlike 
material  in  Kartoum  ? 

Certainly,  according  to  the  letter,  I  would  be  jus- 
tified in  so  doing ;  and  then  what !  If  what  I  feel 
sure  will  happen,  i.  e.  a  rising  in  Egypt  occurs,  what 
will  my  nation  say  ?  (for  Egerton  will  disappear  by 
some  appointment  in  Chili)  they  will  say  it  is  my 
fault ;  but  (Z>.  F.)  they  shall  not  say  so,  for  I  will 
not  give  up  the  place  except  with  my  life.  It  can- 
not be  too  strongly  imj)ressed  on  the  public  that  it  is 
not  the  Mahdi's  forces  which  are  to  be  feared,  but 
the  rising  of  the  populations  by  his  emissaries.    I  do 


42  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

not  believe  lie  had  four  thousand  men  when  he  de- 
feated Hicks.  We  have  to  think  what  would  a  gar- 
rison of  ten  thousand  men  do  in  Cairo  if  the  popula- 
tion rose. 

Had  Zubair  Pasha  been  sent  up  when  I  asked  for 
him,  Berber  would  in  all  probability  never  have  fal- 
len, and  one  might  have  made  a  Soudan  Govern- 
ment in  opposition  to  the  Mahdi.  We  choose  to  re- 
fuse his  coming  up  because  of  his  antecedents  in  re 
slave  trade ;  granted  that  we  had  reason,  yet  as  we 
take  no  precautions  as  to  the  fixture  of  these  lands 
with  respect  to  the  slave  trade,  the  above  opposition 
seems  absurd.  I  will  not  send*  up  A.  because  he  will 
do  this,  but  I  will  leave  the  country  to  B.,  who  will 
do  exactly  the  same. 

Sejitemher  18,  —  Men  came  to  Halfeyeh  from 
Shendy,  and  report  in  further  detail,  the  attack  on 
the  market  of  Metemraa,^^  and  capture  of  a  lot  of 
things.  They  report  also  the  arrival  of  troops  at 
Dongola,  and  their  advance  towards  Berber  (saying 
that  a  reconnaissance  was  just  pushed  out  to  ascer- 
tain if  Kartoum  had  fallen  or  not).  Three  escaped 
soldiers  came  in  from  Arabs  ;  they  report  that  a  lot 
of  troops  are  at  Fashoda.^'^  I  suppose  those  from 
Equator  or  Bahr  Gazelle ;  it  appears  they  have  been 
at  Fashoda  some  little  time,  and  have  lots  of  cows, 
&c.  They  did  not  like  to  come  on,  for  they  did  not 
know  if  Kartoum  existed. 

49  A  town  nearly  opposite  to  Shendy,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Nile.  — 

50  An  old  hot-bed  of  slavery  on  the  White  Nile.  —  En.' 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  43 

10  A.  M.  —  A  fight  is  going  on  between  the  Tow- 
fikia  steamer  and  five  hundred  of  our  men  and  the 
Ai^abs,  near  Giraffe.  The  Arabs  are  retiring  to- 
wards the  White  Nile.  I  sent  out  the  men  to  get 
wood,  &c.  The  Arabs  did  ditto,  thence  the  col- 
lision. 

The  three  men  who  came  in  to-day,  say  the  Arabs, 
seeing  the  numbers  who  desert  them,  take  the  rifles 
from  the  men  at  night,  and  give  them  out  by  day. 

These  men  say  the  Mahdi  knows  of  the  advance 
of  the  troops  on  Berber,  and  is  in  a  way  about  it. 

Yesterday,  previous  to  hearing  the  news  of  to- 
day, I  had  arranged  for  the  departure  of  the  Greek 
Consul  and  subjects  to  the  Equator,  and  then  their 
retreat,  vid  Zanzibar,  but  it  will  now  be  held  in 
abeyance,  till  we  see  the  corroboration  or  not,  of  this 
advance  of  troops  to  Berber. 

The  following  meditations  as  to  the  future  may 
save  a  good  deal  of  talking :  therefore  I  write  them. 
Supposing  it  to  be  true,  an  expeditionary  force 
comes  to  Berber,  composed  of  partly  British  troops. 
What  will  result?  The  Mahdi's  people  will  retire 
still  further  into  the  interior,  and  some  of  his  people 
will  come  in.  The  chief  of  the  expeditionary  force 
will  say,  "  Now  the  road  from  Kartoum  to  Berber  is 
open,  retire  the  garrison."  He  may  say,  "  I  will 
give  you  three  months  to  do  it  in."  Well,  we  send 
up  steamers  to  the  Equator  and  Bahr  Gazelle,  and 
the  garrison  of  Kartoum  mai'ches  on  Sennaar  and 
we  get  down  the  refugees,  and  garrisons  from  those 
places.  Of  course  the  moment  it  is  known  we  are 
going  to  evacuate,  we  drive  all  neutrals,  and  even 


44  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

friendlies  of  the  country  into  the  arms  of  the  Mahcli, 
for  they  will  calculate  "  We  are  going  to  be  left,  and 
consequently  we  must,  for  our  own  intex-ests,  do 
something  for  the  Mahdi,  in  order  to  hedge  our 
position."  This  means  that  arrayed  against  our 
evacuation  will  be  the  mass  of  those  living  in  our 
midst,  and  who  are  now  with  us.  This  is  disagreea- 
ble, but  one  cannot  helj)  seeing  that  it  is  quite  imi^os- 
sible  to  keep  British  troops  after  January.  There- 
fore I  maintain  we  must  install  Zubair  with  a  subsidy 
or  give  over  the  coiuitry  to  the  Sultan  with  a  subsidy. 
There  is  no  option.  If  it  is  determined  to  do  neither, 
but  to  evacuate  purely  and  simply,  then  when  the 
Sennaar  garrison  is  brought  down,  give  me  the 
steamers,  and  the  black  troops,  who  are  willing  to 
go,  and  let  me  take  them  up  to  Equator,  while  the 
expeditionary  force  goes  down  to  Berber.  I  must 
say  I  think  this  will  be  a- mistake,  to  leave  the  pris- 
oners in  Obeyed,  and  to  let  the  Mahdi  gain  Kar- 
toum. 

As  for  Kassala,  it  must  be  relieved,  by  a  separate 
expedition  from  Massowah  and  Senheit.  Supj)osing 
the  evacuation,  and  non-establishment  of  a  regular 
government  (under  Zubair  or  the  Turks)  is  deter- 
mined upon,  the  Mahdi  would,  on  taking  Kartoum, 
think  twice  of  moving  on  Egypt,  if  I  was  on  his 
rear  at  Equator,  with  all  the  steamers. 

No  one  can  feel  more  strongly  than  I  do,  that 
January  must  see  any  British  troops,  who  may  come 
up  on  their  way  down  to  Egypt,  coute  que  coute. 
This  must  be  so,  therefore  I  keep  on,  about  giving 
the  country  to  Sultan,  or  installing  Zubair,  with 
subsidies. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  45 

In  the  serail,  we  have  a  Turkey  cock  and  five 
Turkey  hens.  They  were  all  very  tame,  but  having 
put  the  Turkey  cock's  head  under  his  wing,  and 
swung  him  into  sleep,  on  one  occasion,  he  is  now 
shy  to  come  near  me  ;  however,  if  one  goes  to  his 
wives  and  scratches  them  he  is  furious,  and  comes 
up  with  his  neck  of  all  colours,  but  keeps  out  of 
range.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  one  of  his  wives, 
having  sat  with  patience  for  three  weeks  on  eggs, 
and  brought  forth  two  chicks,  he  killed  them  ;  such 
is  the  accusation  lodged  against  him  by  the  cook. 
I  think  a  Turkey  cock,  with  every  feather  on  end, 
and  all  the  colours  of  the  rainbow  on  his  neck,  is 
the  picture  of  physical  strength  ;  his  eye  is  an  eye  of 
fire,  and  there  is  no  doubt  of  his  being  angry  when 
he  sees  his  wives  touched.  I  am  one  of  those  who 
believe  in  the  fore  and  future  existence  of  what  we 
call  animals.  We  have  the  history  of  man,  shaped 
in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God.  He  had  breathed 
into  him  the  breath  of  God,  and  became  alive,  while 
the  waters  and  earth  were  told  to  bring  forth  ani- 
mals that  had  life  already  (Gen.  i.  20).  "That 
hath  life."  Take  Psalm  viii.  "  What  is  man,  Thou 
hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet."  What  a  fall 
there  is  in  the  next  verse,  "  All  sheep  and  oxen^'' 
and  turn  to  Hebrews  ii.  8,  where  the  same  Psalm  is 
quoted,  and  where  all  things  are  subject  to  Him. 
All  principalities,  powers,  and  every  existence  are 
under  Him.  Why  did  the  Psalmist  go  out  of  his 
way  to  quote  "  sheep  and  oxen,"  unless  they  were 
(so  to  say)  the  incarnation  of  those  powers  and 
principalities?     Man,  however  much  he  has  fallen, 


46  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

has  the  grand  pre-eminence  over  all  creatures,  he 
was  shaped  (the  word  is  the  same  as  is  used  for  a 
potter  making  a  clay  vessel)  in  GocVs  image  and 
likeness,  and  it  is  only  God  who  could  have  so 
shaped  him,  as  it  is  only  God  who  knew  his  own 
likeness.  Also  when  our  Lord  took  our  form  (which 
he  still  keeps)  as  man,  in  Him  dwelt  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead,  so  that  there  is  no  doubt  (as  he  dif- 
fered only  from  us  in  being  sinless)  that  man  is 
capable  of  containing  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead. 
Our  belief  is  that  as  man  our  Lord  governs  heaven 
and  earth,  not  a  sparrow  falling  without  his  per- 
mission ;  this  being  so,  the  capacity  of  man  must  be 
such  as  to  allow  of  his  being  so  endowed  as  to  rule 
all  events  in  heaven  and  earth,  for  it  is  distinctly 
said  our  Lord  was  incarnated  in  a  similar  body  to 
ours,  except  without  sin.  Our  Lord,  who  is  now 
man  for  ever  and  ever,  is  not  likely  to  have  taken  a 
form  which  contained  any  hindrance  to  his  fulness 
of  his  Godhead,  therefore  the  form  He  took  must 
be  perfect,  and  as  our  difference  between  Him  and 
us  is  our  sin  (which  He  has  taken  away),  we,  in 
our  turn,  must  be  capable  of  realizing  his  fulness 
of  Godhead,  and  my  belief  is  that  our  future  happi- 
ness is  in  being  finite  intelligences.  We  will  keep 
on  to  all  eternity,  grasping  the  infinite  knowledge  of 
God  which  we  are  so  formed  as  to  be  able  to  do, 
but  which  will  last  for  ever  inasmuch  as  He  is  in- 
finite. When  one  gets  on  these  subjects,  and  has 
to  come  down  to  this  dreadful  Soudan  question,  it 
is  depressing  ;  so  also  is  the  thought  that  misery  here 
is  our  lot,  for  if  we  will  be  with  our  Master,  we  must 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  47 

be  like  Him,  who  from  his  birth  to  his  death  may- 
be said  to  have  been  utterly  miserable,  as  far  as 
things  in  this  world  are  concerned:  yet  I  kick  at 
the  least  obstacle  to  my  will. 

I  certainly  will,  with  all  my  heart  and  soul,  do  my 
best  if  any  of  Her  Majesty's  forces  come  up  here  or 
to  Berber,  to  send  them  down  before  January,  and 
will  willingly  take  all  the  onus  of  having  done  so. 
Truly  the  people  are  not  worth  any  great  sacrifice, 
and  we  are  only  bound  to  them  because  of  our  dubi- 
ous conduct  in  Egypt,  to  which  bond  there  is  a  limit, 
which  I  fix  in  January.  As  for  the  Kordofan  Euro- 
peans, with  one  exception,  they  have  denied  their 
Lord,  and  they  deserve  their  fate  in  some  measure. 

September  19.  —  The  ex -Khedive  always  said 
that  the  great  difficulty  of  governing  the  Soudan, 
was  the  want  of  means  of  easy  access,  so  he  went 
into  a  great  scheme  of  railways ;  he  always  said  that 
the  Government  was  bad,  because  of  the  immunity 
which  Governors  enjoyed,  owing  to  his  being  imable 
to  control  them.  The  Soudan,  if  once  proper  com- 
munication was  established,  would  not  be  difficult  to 
govern.  The  only  mode  of  improving  the  access  to 
the  Soudan,  seeing  the  impoverished  state  of  Egyp- 


Kartoum 

WMWM. 

f 

Y" 

tian  finances,  and  the  mode  to  do  so,  without  an  out- 
lay of  more  than  X10,000,  is  by  the  Nile. 


48       GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Take  this  section  to  be  the  bed  of  Nile  from  Kar- 
toum  to  Assouan,  abed efg  the  Cataracts  ;  place 
steamers  on  the  open  spaces  between  Cataracts,  build 
small  forts  at  Cataracts,  and  a  sure  and  certain  road 
is  open  for  ever. 

The  same  crews  would  do  for  these  steamers,  for 
a  weekly  service  would  suffice.  Camels  should  be 
placed  at  the  Cataracts  for  the  transhipment  of 
goods  from  steamer  to  steamer. 

After  the  first  outlay,  which  certainly  would  not 
be  more  than  X10,000,  for  we  have  the  steamers  (I 
think  X5000  woidd  be  enough),  the  thing  would  pay 
itself.  Of  course,  it  would  be  better  to  make  loop 
tramways  worked  by  animals,  than  to  keep  camels 
at  the  Catai-acts.  I  worked  at  this  idea  quietly  for 
the  time  ^^  I  was  in  the  Soudan  before.    Colonel  Ma- 

51  "Ismail,  ths  ex-Khedive,  fully  considered  that  to  maintain  his 
hold  of  the  Soudan,  he  must  improve  his  communications  witli  it  and 
Egypt  proper.  Unfortunately,  in  his  wish  to  bring  the  Soudan  trade 
down  the  Nile,  through  Egypt  proper,  he  was  led  to  abandon  its  natural 
outlet  by  the  route  from  Berber  to  Suakin,  across  the  280-niile  desert, 
and  determined  to  make  a  raihvaj'  through  the  desert  along  the  Nile 
past  the  Cataracts  from  Wady  Haifa  to  Hanneck,  a  distance  of  180 
miles.  Contracts  were  made,  and  some  £450,000  were  spent  on  the  line  ; 
but  llnancial  difRculties  arose,  and  in  1877  it  came  to  a  standstill  some 
tifty  or  sixt}^  kilometres  south  of  Wady  Haifa.  It  was  evident  that  on 
this  grand  scale  tl)e  continuation  of  the  line  could  not  be  hoped  for,  so  I 
studied  the  question.  There  was  the  line  made  from  Wady  Haifa  for 
say  fifty  miles;  and  therefore  130  miles  remained  to  be  got  over  before 
this  barrier  of  desert  was  passed.  By  the  researches  of  Colonel  Mason 
and  Mr.  Gooding,  and  also  by  my  ovvn  personal  examination,  the  river 
for  this  130  miles  was  shown  to  be  not  continuously  encumbered  by 
rocks.  There  were,  as  it  were,  long  strips  of  open  water  between  the 
ridges  of  rocks, — one  of  these  strips  was  forty  miles  in  length.  Now 
steamers  built  in  England  had  in  full  flood  been  hauled  up  every  one  of 
these  ridges,  and  had  thus  been  brought  to  Kartoum  and  had  plied  to 
Gondokoro.  My  idea  was  to  bring  up  small  steamers  during  high  Nile, 
place  them  on  all  the  open  strips  of  water  of  any  reasonable  extent;  and 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  49 

son  went  down  and  examined  tlie  Cataracts  between 
Hannek  and  Wady  Haifa,  and  he  found  one  space 
of  open  water  forty  miles  in  length.  The  Wady 
Haifa  railway  might  be  produced  some  nine  kilome- 
tres, and  brought  down  to  river  bank.  The  mass  of 
the  misfortunes  of  the  Soudan  arose  from  this  idea  of 
utilizing  the  Nile  not  having  been  carried  out,  but 
one  had  to  work  at  it  quietly,  for  Caii-o  was  bent  on 
the  Wady  Haifa  railway  over  which  such  sums  had 
been  spent.  I  even  took  one  steamer  up  from  Wady 
Haifa  to  Dongola  (i.  c.  Mr.  Baird,  C.  E.,  did  so),  to 
begin  the  chain  of  steamers. 

No  church  parade  to  speak  of ;  Arabs  are  now  vis- 
ible only  on  the  south  front,  four  or  five  miles  dis- 
tant. Arabs  did  not  bring  their  gun  down  to  the 
Blue  Nile  to-day,  and  no  escaped  prisoners  came  in. 
To-day  is  the  Muslim  Sabbath,  and  there  is  no  office 
work.  (Not  that  there  is  much  on  other  days  ;  how- 
ever, one  never  sees  any  one  from  morning  till 
night.) 

thus  work  them  from  ridge  to  ridge  in  these  open  spaces.  I  proposed 
further  to  have  only  one  crew,  and  to  ship  them  from  steamer  to  steamer 
so  as  to  save  expense.  At  those  places  where  the  ridge  was  of  any 
great  length,  I  proposed  to  use  tramways  to  get  over  the  space  between 
the  debarking  landing-place  of  one  open  water-way  to  the  embarking 
wharf  of  the  other  open  water-way.  Thus,  by  using  the  Avater-way 
where  open,  and  tramways  where  the  river  was  encumbered,  I  should 
get  over  these  130  miles.  I  calculated  that  the  cost  of  all  this  work, 
steamers,  and  tramways,  &c.,  would  be  .£70,000,  while  the  railway,  if 
carried,  would  have  cost  over  a  million  and  a  half.  However,  the  revolts, 
troubles  of  different  kinds,  and  other  thing-,  prevented  this  being  carried 
out,  and  the  controllers  would  not  take  it  up;  so,  after  an  expense  of 
nearly  lialf-a-million,  the  railway  exists  with  its  end  era  Vair,  with  its 
valuable  stores  perishing,  while  Kgypt  proper  has  no  more  hold  over  the 
Soudan  than  was  had  by  Ancient  Egypt."  —  See  Colonel  Gordon  in 
Central  Africa,  p.  315.  —  Ed. 
4 


50  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

This  has  given  me  time  to  think  over  the  outburst 
of  indignation  in  re  the  slave  circular.  We  did  not 
see  the  papers,  so  can  only  guess  what  they  said,  but 
expect  that  this  diabolical  fact  caused  upraised 
hands  in  horror,  "  Was  the  world  coming  to  an 
end  ?  "  What  complete  rubbish  !  Was  it  not  an- 
nounced openly  that  the  Soudan  was  going  to  be 
abandoned,  and  consequently  that  the  Soudanese 
were  to  be  allowed  to  follow  their  own  devices 
(which  are  decidedly  slave  -  huntingly  inclined)  ? 
What  possible  influence  could  my  saying  that  that 
feeble  Treaty  of  1877  was  not  going  to  be  enforced, 
have  on  people  who  were  going  to  be  abandoned? 
The  sole  and  only  object  of  my  mission  was  to  get 
out  the  garrisons  and  refugees  without  loss  of  life. 
And  in  saying  what  I  did  I  merely  told  the  people 
a  platitude. 

Baring  deigned  to  say  he  would  support  me !  Of 
course,  that  was  an  enormous  assistance,  to  have  his 
approbation.  I  expect  that  my  asking  for  Zubair 
to  come  up  was  the  last  drop  in  the  cuj),  and  hence- 
forth I  was  a  complete  pariah,  yet,  in  reality,  if  the 
Soudan  was  to  be  abandoned,  what  difference  could 
it  possibly  make  whether  Zubair  or  the  Mahdi  car- 
ried on  slave-hunting,  for,  according  to  all  accounts, 
the  Mahdi  is  most  active  in  this  direction  (so  says  the 
Greek).  We  had  decided  to  abandon  the  Soudan, 
and  to  leave  it  to  its  own  devices  ;  the  only  obstacle 
to  this  was  those  horrid  garrisons  ;  once  we  could 
get  them  out,  then  chaos  might  reign,  for  all  we 
cared.  The  Arabs,  foolishly,  would  not  let  us  re- 
turn,   consequently  the    present  position.     Zubair's 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  61 

coming  up,  when  I  asked  for  him,  would  have,  I 
think,  saved  Berber,  and  greatly  facilitated  the  get- 
ting down  of  those  garrisons,  which  we  only  care 
for,  because  it  is  a  ^^a/^^aS/e  dishonour  to  abandon 
them,  "  they  ought  to  have  surrendered  at  once, 
troublesome  people  that  they  are,  giving  so  much 
bother  !  " 

Stewart  will  bear  witness  that  my  whole  efforts 
have  been,  and  will  be,  directed  to  carry  out  my  in- 
structions, viz.,  the  withdrawal  of  the  garrisons  and 
refugees,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  defeat  of  Ma- 
homet Ali  Pasha,  I  should  have  got  out  at  least  two- 
thirds  of  those  at  Kartoum  and  Sennaar.  I  was  en- 
gaged in  a  certain  work,  i.  e.  to  take  down  the  gar- 
risons, &c.  It  suited  me  altogether  to  accept  this 
work  (when  once  it  was  decided  on  to  abandon  the 
Soudan),  which,  to  my  idea,  is  preferable  to  letting 
it  be  under  those  wretched  effete  Egyptian  Pashas. 
Her  Majesty's  Government  agreed  to  send  me.  It 
was  a  mutual  affair,  they  owe  me  positively  nothing, 
and  I  owe  them  nothing.  A  Member  of  Parliament, 
in  one  of  our  last  received  papers,  asked  "whether 
officers  were  not  suj^posed  to  go  where  they  were  or- 
dered ?  "  I  quite  agree  with  his  view,  but  it  cannot 
be  said  I  was  ordered  to  go.  The  subject  was  too 
complex  for  any  order.  It  was,  "  Will  you  go  and 
try  ?  "  and  my  answer  was,  "  Only  too  delighted." 
As  for  all  that  may  be  said  of  our  holding  out,  &c., 
&c.,  it  is  all  twaddle,  for  we  had  no  option  ;  as  for 
all  that  may  be  said  as  to  why  I  did  not  escape  with 
Stewart,  it  is  simply  because  the  people  would  not 
have  been  such  fools  as  to  have  let  me  go,  so  there 


52  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

is  an  end  of  those  great-coats  of  self  -  sacrifice,  &c. 
Place  before  men  the  chance  of  success  by  holding 
out,  and  the  certainty  of  death,  or  miserable  captiv- 
ity, if  they  give  in,  there  is  not  much  credit  in  hold- 
ing out.  I  must  add  in  re.  "  the  people  not  letting 
me  go,"  that  even  if  they  had  been  willing  for  me 
to  go,  I  would  not  have  gone  and  left  them  in  their 
misery.  I  think  I  say  truly,  I  have  never  asked  for 
a  British  expedition.  I  asked  for  two  hundred  men 
to  be  sent  to  Berber  at  a  time  when,  Graham  having 
beaten  Osman  Digma,  one  might  have  supposed 
there  was  no  risk  for  those  two  hundred  men,  and 
I  asked  for  Zubair.^^ 

Baring  offended  Cuzzi,  who  revenged  himself  by 
betraying  Berber.  Baring  openly  announced  "  that 
no  troops  would  come  up  to  Berber,"  which  was  a 
gratuitous  act  on  his  part.  We  may  be  sure  Cuzzi 
(who  loves  Baring)  did  not  fail  to  tell  this  to  the 
Mahdi,  yet  Baring  pitched  into  me  for  indiscretion 
in  asking  openly  for  Zubair,''^  which  I  did  on  pur- 
pose, in  order  to  save  Her  Majesty's  Government 
the  odium  of  such  a  step  !  As  for  Zubair's  refusing 
to  come  up  (as  Cuzzi  says  he  did),  I  put  it  down  to 
some  palace  intrigue,  and  consider  (if  it  is  true)  he 
was  forced  into  saying  so.  If  any  expedition  comes 
up,  I  am  grateful  officially  for  the  people's  sake,  but 

s-  "On  the  18th  Feb.,  the  day  General  Gordon  arrived  at  Kartoum, 
he  recommended  in  the  strongest  manner  that  Ziibair  should  bo  sent  up, 
and  gave  liis  reasons  in  detail."  —  Egypt,  No.  12,  1884.  Enclosure  in 
No.  114. 

"On  March  9,  Sir  Evelyn  Baring  recommended  that  Znbair  should  go 
up,  such  a  recommendation  being  in  harmonj'  with  the  policy  of  evacua- 
tion." —  Erpjpt,  No.  12,  1884,  in  115  #  222.  —Ed. 

53  This  cannot  be  traced.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  53 

T  consider  that  it  is  a  right  they  possess,  for,  had 
not  Egypt  been  interfered  with,  somewhat  more 
than  seven  persons  would  have  come  up  here,  as  re- 
inforcements, between  21st  November,  1883,  when 
Hicks'  defeat  was  known,  and  19th  September,  1884. 
/  am  grateful  personally,  because,  as  surely  as  the 
chief  of  that  expedition  conies  up,  I  will  put  on  him 
the  burthen  of  the  Government  (doing  what  I  can 
"to  help  him).  I  am  unable  to  forget  the  sufferings 
of  these  peoples,  owing  to  our  want  of  decision  hi  re 
Zubair,  and  no  soft  woi'ds  will  obliterate  those  suf- 
ferings from  my  memory.  It  is  not  over  praisewor- 
thy if  one  holds  out,  when,  if  you  do  not,  your  throat 
is  cut. 

I  am  deeply  grateful  to  those  who  have  prayed 
for  us. 

Any  expeditionary  force  that  may  come  up  comes 
up  for  the  honour  of  England,  and  England  will 
be  grateful,  and  I  can  hang  the  yoke  of  Govern- 
ment on  some  one  else,  for  the  solution  of  the 
problem. 

Any  one  reading  the  telegram  ^^  5th  May,  Suakin, 
29th  April,  Massowah,  and  loithout  date,  Egerton 
saying,  "  Her  Majesty's  Government  does  not  enter- 
tain your  proposal  to  supply  Turkish  or  other  troops 
in  order  to  undertake  military  operations  in  Sou- 
dan, and  consequently  if  you  stay  at  Kartoum  you 
should  state  your  reasons,"  might  imagine  one  was 
luxuriating  up  here,  whereas,  I  am  sure,  no  one 
wishes  more  to  be  out  of  it  than  myself ;  the  "  rea- 
sons "  are  those  horridly  plucky  Arabs. 

fi4  Egypt,  188-1,  iVy,«.  201-56.     See  also  Egypt,  188-4,  Nos.  35-166. 


54  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

I  own  to  having  been  very  insubordinate  to  Her 
Majesty's  Government  and  its  officials,  but  it  is  my 
nature,  and  I  cannot  help  it,  I  fear  I  have  not  even 
tried  to  i^lay  battledore  and  shuttlecock  with  them. 
I  know  if  /  was  chief  1  would  never  employ  myself, 
for  I  am  incorrigible.  To  men  like  Dilke,  who 
weigh  every  word,  I  must  be  2)e)^ect  poison.  I 
wonder  what  the  telegrams  about  Soudan  have  cost 
Her  Majesty's  Government  ?  It  has  been  truly  a 
horrid  question.  There  is  the  Town  El  Obeyed 
and  the  Sheikh  El  Obeyed  ;  there  is  the  Haloman 
of  Cairo  and  the  Haloman  of  Kartoum.  Sanderson 
must  have  a  hard  time  of  it.  "  The  city  moves 
about !  "  "  Why,  if  Haloman  is  attacked,  Cairo 
must  be  in  danger  !  Send  for  Wolseley  !  Kartoum 
forces  defeated  by  Sheikh  el  Obeyed !  Why,  the 
town  must  have  moved !  Is  not  El  Obeyed  the 
place  Hicks  went  to  take  ?  Most  extraordinary  ! 
Send  for  Wolseley!" 

"  Eureka,  I  have  found  it  out ;  there  is  a  man 
called  El  Obeyed  and  a  toivii  called  El  Obeyed. 
When  a  movement  occurs,  it  is  the  man,  not  the 
toxon,  which  has  moved  !  "  After  this  I  shall  hesi- 
tate to  ask  for  any  appointment  from  Foreign  Of- 
fice, and  I  shall  get  no  more  crisp  bank-notes,  as 
I  used  to  do  from  old  Cunnynghame  in  1858-59 
(when  Alston  was  a  boy,  so  to  say),  in  those  dingy 
rooms  in  Downing  Street,  now  pulled  down.  One 
can  fancy  them  saying  "  That  brute  of  a  Mahdi !  " 
"  That  horrid  resurrection  of  Stewart,  Power,  and 
Herbin  at  Dongola  I  "  It  will  destroy  all  the  xoell 
earned  repose  of  Her  Majesty's  Government.     As 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  55 

Sii'  Wilfrid  Lawson  (he  is  an  irregular')  said,  "  One 
day  you  will  groan  when  you  hear  of  Tel  el  Kebir." 
I  think  of  all  the  pusillanimous  businesses  which 
happened  in  1882,  the  flight  of  the  Europeans  from 
Alexandria  before  these  wretched  fallaheen  troops 
was  the  worst.  Why,  had  they  barricaded  their 
streets,  they  would  have  held  Alexandria  against 
50,000  of  these  poor  things  (like  Abbot  did  his 
hotel  and  the  Egyptian  bank  their  offices).  A 
more  contemptible  soldier  than  the  Egyptian  never 
existed.  Here  we  never  count  on  them  ;  they  are 
held  in  supreme  contempt,  poor  creatures.  Tliey 
never  go  out  to  fight ;  it  would  be  perfectly  iniqui- 
tous to  make  them.  We  tried  it  once,  and  they 
refused  point  blank  to  leave  the  steamers.  W^e  are 
keeping  them  in  cotton  wool  to  send  down  to  Baring 
(if  he  has  weathered  the  storm  ?) 

"  Blessed  is  the  man  who  does  not  sit  in  the  seat 
of  the  scornful  "  (Ps.  i.  1).  I  own  it  is  not  right  to 
scoff  at  one's  superiors,  but  I  do  not  do  it  in  malice, 
and  I  hope  those  who  are  remarked  upon  will  not 
be  offended.  Life  is  a  very  leaden  business,  and  if 
any  one  can  lighten  it,  so  much  the  better.  Because 
I  criticise  Baring,  Egerton,  and  the  Foreign  Office, 
it  is  not  that  I  think  I  am  their  superior,  but  be- 
cause I  would  like  them  to  see  how  others,  outside 
themselves,  view  things.  Because  I  may  differ  with 
them  it  is  no  reason  why  they  may  not  be  right,  and 
acting  uprightly,  and  I  may  be  utterly  wrong.  I 
am  sure  the  "  Siren  "  Malet  is  conscientiously  sure 
all  he  did  in  Egypt  was  right ;  if  visited  in  Brussels 
one  will  see,  at  a  glance,  he  is  plainly  content. 


66  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

One  of  the  most  amusinof  tliino:s  which  struck  me 
in  Palestine,  exemplifying  how  little  worth  the 
world's  praise  is,  was  an  article  in  the  Times  de- 
scribing the  making  of  a  D.  C.  L.  at  Oxford.  Sir 
Charles  Wilson  received  this  honour.  The  Times^ 
in  remarking  on  the  affair,  mixed  Wilson,  R.  E.,  up 
with  Rivers  Wilson  of  National  Debt  Office,  and 
spoke  of  his  "  financial  capacities ''  in  Egypt.  Of 
course  Wilson,  R.  E.,  coidd  not  help  thinking  he 
had  been  robbing  Wilson  of  National  Debt  Office  of 
his  renown,  while  Rivers  Wilson  felt  hurt  at  being 
robbed  of  it.  Two  people  were  accordingly  put 
out ;  while  the  innocent  writer  in  the  Times,  when 
penning  his  article,  was  thinking  hov/  he  could  meet 
his  rent  (this  is  pure  supposition).  We  may  be 
quite  certain,  that  Jones  cares  more  for  where  he  is 
going  to  dine,  or  what  he  has  got  for  dinner,  than 
he  does  for  what  Smith  has  done,  so  we  need  not 
fret  ourselves  for  what  the  world  says.  The  article 
in  the  Times  was  a  Mordecai  to  Wilson,  R.  E.,  and 
quite  destroyed  the  pleasure  of  receiving  D.  C.  L. ; 
yet  the  writer  in  the  Times  did  all  he  could  to  exalt 
Wilson,  R.  E.  I  think  the  press  is  first-rate,  to  ven- 
tilate articles  ;  but  when  "we"  come  out,  and  praise 
or  blame,  I  do  not  care  a  bit  for  "  we  "  :  for  I  have 
seen  the  "  We's,"  and  found  them  much  as  myself. 
I  would  never  muzzle  the  press  or  its  correspondents ; 
they  are  most  useful,  and  one  cannot  be  too  grateful 
to  them  (I  own'%his  more  than  any  one),  but  I  cer- 
tainly think,  that  their  province  does  not  extend  to 
praising  or  blaming  a  man,  for  by  praising,  or  blam- 
ing, an  assumption  is  made  of  superiority,  for  the 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  bl 

greater  only  can  do  that,  to  the  inferior ;  and  no 
newspaper  can  arrogate  that  its  correspondent  is  su- 
perior to  the  General  (though  I  declare  I  think, 
sometimes,  it  may  be  the  case). 

Take  for  instance  our  defeat  here,  on  the  16th 
March,  which  is  put  down  to  the  treachery  of  the 
Pashas.  Ten  thousand  articles  in  the  Times  will 
not  make  me  think  that  their  execution  was  not  a 
judicial  murder,  yet  probably  the  Times  may  say,  I 
was  justified  :  it  alters  not  the  affair  with  me,  it  is 
simply  my  intelligence  against  that  of  their  corre- 
spondent ;  if  the  Times  saw  this  in  print,  it  would 
say,  "  Why,  then,  did  you  act  as  you  did  ?  "  to  which 
I  fear  I  have  no  answer. 

September  20.  —  Six  escaped  soldiers  came  in 
this  morning  with  their  arms ;  they  say  that  the  oth- 
ers meditate  a  genei\al  rush  for  the  lines  to  escape, 
that  the  Arabs  are  quite  astonished  at  our  being 
so  quiet,  and  believe  a  mine  is  being  driven  under 
them.  The  men  who  came  to-day  said  the  Mahdi  is 
still  at  Rahad !  not  at  Schatt,  One  of  these  men 
was  a  perfect  peacock  with  the  patches  on  his  der- 
vish dress.  Yesterday  evening,  while  a  gale  was 
blowing,  Waled  a  Goun  took  out  the  Krupp,  mean- 
ing to  bombard  us,  but  he  then  took  it  back  on 
Abou  Gugliz'  remonstrances,  who  said  that  we  had 
stayed  quiet  for  months,  that  he  had  made  splendid 
fortresses,  and  that  on  one  day  we  had  burst  on  him, 
and  broken  him  up. 

A  curious  letter  ^^  was  found  written,  just  before 

65  Appendix  F. 


58  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Hicks'  forces  perished,  by  a  high  officer ;  it  is  in 
the  terms,  ''  Stranger,  go  tell  the  Lacedemonians  we 
lie  here,  in  obedience  to  their  laws." 

I  have  in  a  previous  page  abused  the  Egyptian 
soldier,  but  it  is  not  just,  for  what  possible  interest 
can  they  take  in  warlike  operations  in  the  Soudan  ? 
The  English  beat  them  in  Egypt,  and  then  sent 
them  up  here  to  be  massacred  in  detail.  One  may 
say  the  massacred  ten  thousand  of  Hicks'  army,  at 
any  rate,  showed  they  could  die,  if  they  could  not 
fight. 

When  we  got  hemmed  in,  a  lot  of  slaves  belong- 
ing to  masters  in  Kartoum  got  cut  off.  They  have 
been  coming  in  in  driblets  ever  since,  and  we  made 
the  men  soldiers,  and  the  women  were  freed;  this 
of  course  bore  hard  on  their  masters,  who  thus  lost 
their  slaves,  so  I  have  determined  to  compensate 
these  masters,  at  rate  of  £1  per  man,  £5  per  woman, 
being  an  inferior  article.  Certainly  I  w^ould  make 
'  Plutarch's  Lives '  a  handbook  for  our  3"oung  offi- 
cers ;  it  is  worth  any  nlimbers  of  '  Arts  of  War '  or 
'  Minor  Tactics.' 

Some  accounts  in  the  Gazette,  describing  reasons 
for  giving  the  Victoria  Cross,  are  really  astounding, 
sucli  as  a  man  who,  with  another,  was  sent  out  on 
a  reconnaissance,  this  other  was  wounded,  and  his 
companion  waited  for  him,  and  took  him  on  his 
horse,  saving  his  life !  What  would  we  have  said, 
had  he  left  his  companion?  Lots  of  these  cases  pass 
by  unheeded,  wdiich,  if  read  by  '  Plutarch's  Lives,' 
would  be  simply  a  man's  duty.  A  soldier  is  bound 
entirely  to  his  work  as  a  soldier,  he  can  never  do 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  69 

more  tliaii  his  duty,  and  his  metier  is  the  Field  ;  there- 
fore he  deserves  nothing,  for  he  is  already  paid  for 
that  metiei\  and  not  for  garrison  or  home  life.  The 
original  idea  of  the  Victoria  Cross  was  to  give  the 
subaltern  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  men 
a  decoration,  which  would  take  the  place  of  the  Bath, 
to  ranks  below  that  of  Major,  which  by  the  statutes 
of  the  Bath  could  not  be  done ;  then  came  the  mis- 
take to  give  the  Victoria  Cross  for  deeds  of  eclat,  and 
so  now  it  is.  I  like  that  old  Iron  Duke  with  his 
fearful  temper :  he  told  a  friend  of  my  father,  who 
was    bewailing    his    long    and    meritorious    ser\ace, 

"  That   he   ought  to  be gla,d  the  country  had 

kept  him  so  long."  I  v/ish  Wolseley  would  take  up 
this  line,  and  get  some  quixotic  chivalry  into  us : 
that  it  is  possible  I  feel  sure,  for  we  are  the  same 
men  as  before.  In  three  campaigns,  out  of  four  of 
late  years,  no  officer  or  soldier  has  gone  through 
such  privations  or  dangers,  as  are  gone  through  by 
our  naval  officers  and  sailors  in  gunboats,  in  various 
parts  of  the  world,  yet  these  latter  v/ould  be  scoffed 
at  if  they  pleaded  these  privations,  in  order  to  get 
rev/ard.  A  man  defends  a  post,  if  he  loses  it  his 
throat  is  cut ;  why  give'  him  a  Victoria  Cross?  and 
if  given,  why  not  give  it  to  all  who  were  with  him  ? 
they  equally  with  him  defended  their  throats.  The 
men  I  should  like  to  see  cross-questioned  on  the 
country  they  are  in  are  our  generals,  whose  whole 
time  is  taken  up  in  their  offices  with  courts-martial, 
&c.,  &c.,  an  occasional  day  being  devoted  to  moving 
men  about  in  formations,  which  are  never  put  into 
execution  in  the  Field.       The  metier  of  a  General 


60  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

is  the  Field,  not  the  office  ;  it  is  as  if  all  their  time 
is  to  be  taken  up  with  the  horse  in  the  stable,  not  in 
the  country,  whereas  the  latter  is  the  most  impor- 
tant. I  should  like  to  see  Wolseley  trot  out  the  gen- 
erals over  their  districts  ;  ask  them  the  routes,  their 
proposed  distribution  of  men  in  case  of  attack,  and 
water  su2:)j3ly  to  forts.  I  do  not  think  it  is  generally 
known  that  if  a  gunboat  cut  the  sea-wall  near  Cool- 
ing on  Thames,  the  Cliffe  and  Shornemead  forts 
are  cut  off  from  main  land,  and  that  the  Thames 
would  come  up  to  high  lands,  and  be  ten  miles  wide. 
There  is  one  man  only  that  I  know  who  has  the  gift 
of  questioning,  because  he  knows  every  part  of  the 
coast.  Sir  W.  Jervois :  and  if  Wolseley  has  not  the 
time,  he  would  do  schoolmaster.  Of  course,  this  is 
all  fearful  treason  and  presumption. 

Spy  in  Halfeyeh  states  Stewart's  steamers  have 
recaptured  the  two  steamers  I  had  lost  at  Berber, 
and  had  no  fighting  to  speak  of ;  that  the  English 
troops  are  advancing  on  Ambukol,  ^^  half  way  be- 
tween Debbeh  and  Merow^,  and  had  defeated  the 
Arabs. 

A  young  black  soldier  has  just  escaped  from  the 
Arabs  ;  he  was  pursued  by  three  horsemen  and  some 
footmen,  and  he  kept  blazing  away  at  them  till  he 
got  into  the  lines.  He  says  he  killed  two  of  his 
pursuers. 

I  wrote  a  letter  ^"  to  Abdel  Kader,  the  old  sheikh 
on  South  Front,  and  sent  him  a  packet  of  soap  with 
the  letter,  as  he  had  lamented  to  one  of  our  men, 

^  About  180  miles  from  Kaitoum.  — Ed. 
''  Appendix  U. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  61 

who  had  escaped,  that  he  had  none.  I  daresay  he 
will  think  the  packet  is  a  mine ! 

I  have  ordered  the  sale  of  five  hundred  ardebs  of 
Government  dhoora :  no  one  family  to  purchase  more 
than  two  ardebs. 

The  capture  of  the  steamers  at  Berber  cuts  off  the 
Arabs  of  Berber  from  those  on  other  side. 

With  the  young  soldier  who  escaped  were  three 
others,  but  their  hearts  failed  them,  and  they  were 
recaptured.  I  fear  they  will  suffer,  but  no  physical 
suffering  will  change  the  heart,  hence  I  do  not  be- 
lieve in  purgatory. 

The  Towjikia  steamer  went  up  to  Gii-affe,  and  as 
the  Arabs  had  a  sort  of  sneaking  affection  for  the 
place,  we  put  down  twenty  self-exploding  mines,  to 
deter  them  from  going  there.  The  worst  of  it  is, 
our  domestic  matches  have  run  out,  and  we  cannot 
make  any  substitute,  so  we  have  to  fall  back  on  the 
powder -hose,  connecting  groups  of  ten.  I  think 
good  wire  entanglements,  with  mines,  will  defend 
any  place,  if  one  has  anything  like  moderate  troops 
behind  the  parapet.  Wire  entanglement  ought  to 
be  twenty  yards  in  depth,  mixed  with  it  the  earth 
mines.  No  field  artillery  will  neutralize  their  effects, 
and  only  a  continuous  bombardment  of  days  would 
destroy  them. 

A  man  has  come  in  from  Shendy,  who  corrobo- 
rates the  advance  of  the  expeditionary  force  and  the 
defeat  of  the  Arabs.  Another  came  in,  who  says 
the  Abbas  passed  down  safely,  and  that  the  steam- 
ers Mansowrah  and  Saphia  are  on  their  return,  but 
says  nothing  of  capture  of  the  two  steamers  at  Ber- 


62  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Anotlier  escaped  soldier  came  in. 

The  Arabs  took  the  man  with  the  flag  o£  truce  (I 
sent  out  with  letter  to  Abdel  Kader,  the  old  sheikh) 
into  their  lines ;  he  took  a  lette?'  from  the  Ulemas  to 
the  jMahdi. 

Tolerably  good  information  says  that  the  Mahdi 
has  written  to  the  tribes  about  here,  telling  them  to 
submit  to  our  authority,  and  to  fight  no  more,  to  pay 
taxes,  &c.  ;  that  if  he  is  the  Mahdi,  then  Turks  and 
all  men  will  eventually  acknowledge  him,  without 
any  more  fighting,  &c.  We  have  this  from  two 
separate  sources.  I  think  he  feels  that  to  fail  here 
would  lead  to  his  fall,  and  so  he  will  come  to  terms 
in  order  to  keep  Kordofan,  as  I  originally  proposed 
to  him. 

Faki  Mustapha  (the  man  who  commanded  Arabs 
on  left  bank),  has  sent  in  to  say  he  never  wrote  the 
impertinent  letter  E,^  to  which  his  seal  was  not. 

The  doctor  took  a  stone  as  big  as  a  swan's-egg 
from  a  man  to-day. 

There  is  nothing  like  a  civil  war  to  show  what 
skunks  men  are.  One  of  my  greatest  worries  are 
the  Shaggyeh,  who  are  continually  feathering  to- 
wards me,  or  towards  the  Mahdi.  I  expect  both 
sides  despise  them  equally.  According  to  history, 
the  same  thing  went  on  during  the  reign  of  James  II. 
When  William  of  Orange  landed,  Queen  Anne's  hus- 
band the  Prince  of  Denmark  did  not  show  well  in 
the  affair,  and  I  expect  that  the  Empress  Eugenie 
could  say  a  good  deal  for  "  Rats,"  during  her  time. 
I  must  say  I  cordially  hate  them,  and  if  I  had  my 

°^  Appendix  E. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  63 

way,  I  would  smite  the  Sliaggyeh,  but  policy  says 
"  give  them  rope."  I  have  told  them  distinctly  that 
I  know  it  is  self  interest  alone  which  rules  them, 
which  however  is  a  platitude,  for  it  governs  most  of 
us. 

September  21.  —  Six  more  escaped  soldiers  came 
in  with  their  rifles  to-day.  They  say  the  Arabs  are 
furious  at  losing  their  Peacock  dervish  (who  was 
one  of  their  officers)  yesterday,  and  also  at  the  con- 
stant desertions,  and  have  written  to  the  Mahdi  to 
ask  whether  they  are  to  kill  these  blacks  or  not. 
The  Mahdi  hired  one  thousand  camels  at  i3  a  head, 
to  bring  dhoora  to  the  Arab  camp,  but  the  people 
who  engaged  to  do  this  bolted  with  the  money  and 
the  camels  into  the  interior.  The  Mahdi  is  at 
Sehatt.59 

Messengers  have  arrived  at  Omdurman,  saying 
that  mixed  force  of  Bi*itish  and  Indian  troops  at 
Debbeh,  on  the  Nile,  north  of  Dongola,  and  that 
they  had  defeated  a  party  of  dervishes. 

The  Greek,  who  came  in  a  few  days  ago  from  the 
Arabs,  said  the  Mahdi  had  given  Cuzzi  an  ointment 
to  rub  on  his  body,  which  would  keep  him  in  odour 
of  sanctity! 

Halfeyeh  reports  a  foraging  party  of  Arabs  be- 
tween Halfeyeh  and  Shoboloha.^^ 

The  three  messengers  from  Dongola  came  in  with 
two  cipher  telegrams  from  Egerton  of  same  import, 
not  legible,  for  want  of  cipher,  which  Stewart  car- 
ried off.     Some  photograj)h    letters  which   I  could 

59  Between  forty  and  fifty  miles  west  of  Duem.  —  Ed. 

60  A  pass  about  midway  between  Shendy  and  Halfeyeh.  —  Ed. 


64  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

only  partially  make  out,  and  notes  from  Floyer  ^^ 
and  Kifcchener,*"^  saying  forces  were  coming  up. 
Letter  from  Mudir  Dongola  saying  he  had  beaten 
the  Arabs  four  times  before  the  British  advance! 
I  have  made  him  Pasha,  and  asked  for  the  Order 
of  St.  Michael  and  St.  George  for  him  from  the 
Khedive.  I  have  ordered  three  guns  to  be  fired 
from  all  the  guns  at  4  P.  M.  as  a  salute,  and  to  warn 

Gl  ^'London,  I2th. — Debates  on  Egypt,  House  of  Commons,  subject 
Egypt.  Gladstone  declined  communicate  Northbrook's  instructions. 
Declared  Anglo-French  accord  dead  letter. 

"  13//j.  —  Foreigners  —  German,  Austrian,  Russian  —  attack  England's 
attitude.  Conference  considered  must  lead  coalition  against  England. 
Fitzmaurice  stated  British  Government  not  prepared  change  advice  given 
Egypt  withdraw  from  Kartoum. 

"13iVi.  — Parliament  closed  till  15th  September.  Message  hopes  mis- 
sion Northbrook  suggest  useful  counsels.  England  will  continue  to  fulfil 
public  duties  imposed  upon  her  b_v  events  in  Egypt. 

"  17tk  Au(just.  —  The  88th,  4Gth,  and  5Cth  regiments,  with  expedition 
of  19th  Hussars  and  corps  of  Blounted  Infantry,  go  to  Haifa. 

^^  London,  Idlh.  —  General  Erie  commands  expedition  Haifa.  Buller 
chief  of  staff." 

"Dear  Genekal  Gordon, 

"I  send  you  the  above  ns  the  last  public  news  we  have  heard. 
I  have  been  appointnl  Inspector  General  of  the  Soudan  Telegraph,  but 
at  present  I  can't  get  beyond  Debba  to  inspect  them,  as  Mr.  Hudai  has 
captured  the  Merowi  telegraph  ofhce,  and  the  Sirdar  will  not  let  us  ad- 
vance. I  am  ordered  back  to  Haifa,  and  am  leaving  by  boat  this  morn- 
ing.    With  kind  regards  to  Coloiul  Stewart, 

"  Yours  sincere!}-,  E.  A.  Floyeu. 

"  Debba,  22d  August,  188-i." 

C2  "  Dear  Stewart, 

"Can  I  do  anything  for  you  or  General  Gordon?  I  should  be 
awfully  glad  if  you  will  let  me  know.  The  relief  expedition  is  evidently 
coming  up  this  way,  but  whether  they  will  go  by  Berber  or  attempt  the 
direct  road  from  here  I  do  not  know.  The  Mahdi  is  in  a  bad  waj-;  he 
has  abandoned  Parfur,  and  has  no  reinforcements  to  send  to  Kartoum 
and  Sennaar,  which  are  asked  for. 

"  Yours  always,  H.  H.  Kitchener." 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  65 

the  Arabs  something  is  up.  I  shall  send  down 
spies  to-morrow.  I  gave  the  three  <£50,  and  gave 
them  each  <£10,  with  promise  they  will  be  paid  <£10 
more  when  they  get  to  Dongola.  They  say  they 
had  nothing  given  them  on  starting !  which  is  cu- 
rious if  true. 

Three  more  escaped  soldiers  came  in  this  after- 
noon. They  say  the  Arabs  have  disarmed  all  the 
black  troops,  and  have  told  them  to  go  where  they 
liked,  so  I  expect  we  will  have  a  lot  in  to-morrow. 

We  fired  a  salute  of  three  rounds  from  each  gun 
on  lines,  to  let  the  Arabs  know  of  the  advance  ex- 
peditionary force.  The  men  who  came  in  say  the 
Arabs  were  fully  expecting  an  attack,  and  were  in  a 
great  way. 

I  send  down  to-morrow  a  telegram  to  Cairo,  which 
will  settle  the  business  as  far  as  I  am  concerned.  It 
is  thus  couched :  "  If  you  remove  me  from  being 
Governor-General  then  all  resjsonsibility  is  off  me  ; 
but  if  you  keep  me  as  Governor-General  then  I  will, 
at  the  cost  of  my  commission  in  Her  Majesty's  Ser- 
vice, see  all  refugees  out  of  this  country." 

The  Arabs  in  reply  to  this  salute  of  three  guns 
fired  nine  shots  against  the  lines  to-night,  two  of 
which  passed  over  our  lines  —  a  sort  of  revenge  for 
our  salute. 

The  man  who  went  up  with  the  letter  came  back 
with  two  letters  ^^  and  the  soap,  which  loas  refused. 

Our  salute,  which  was  replied  to  by  the  Arabs  by 
shotted  guns,  made  us  fire  shotted  guns  in  reply ; 
and  the  "  man  who  came  in  with  the  soap  "  says  our 

03  Appendices  K  and  L. 
» 


66  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

guns  killed  twenty  men,  which  I  fear  is  an  exagger- 
ation. Tliis  man  says  the  Arabs  are  in  a  bad  state, 
with  little  food.  They  threatened  to  kill  him.  I 
sent  out  letter  ^^  in  answer. 

September  22.  —  One  escaped  slave  came  in  to-day. 
The  Berber  steamers  are  said  to  be  coming  up  river. 
Sent  out  two  hundred  men  from  Halfeyeh  to  drive 
off  foraging  parties  of  Arabs  investing  roads  from 
that  place  to  Shoboloha. 

The  Sapkia  and  Mansoii^rah  have  returned  from 
Berber.  They  passed  the  Abbas,  that  is  about  all, 
and  I  am  grateful  for  that.  They  carried  out  my 
orders.  Colonel  Stewart's  letter  reports  in  detail. 
The  steamers  lost  three  killed,  and  had  four  wound- 
ed. They  saw  the  two  captured  steamers  under 
the  bank. 

N.  B-  —  When  self-acting  mines  are  placed,  it  is 
as  well  to  connect  them  with  twine  to  facilitate  tak- 
ing them  up. 

September  23.  —  The  men  who  went  out  to  drive 
back  the  marauders  between  Halfeyeh  and  Shobo- 
loha have  come  back.  They  drove  back  the  Arabs 
and  captured  a  lot  of  things. 

During  the  blockade  here,  viz.,  from  say  March 
12tli  till  to-day  Sei^tember  22nd  we  have  expended  — 

3,240,770  Remington  •     •     •  ) 

1,570  Kriipp  gun  .     .     .  >  cartridges. 
9,442  Mountain  gun  .     .  ) 

Of  the  Remington  cartridges  perhaps  240,000  may 

64  Appendix  M. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  67 

have  been  captured  by  enemy,  so  that  we  fired 
3,000,000  away;  and  I  expect  the  Arabs  lost  per- 
haps 1000  in  all.  Each  Arab  killed  needed  3000 
cartridges.     We  have  left  here  — 

2,242,000  Remington  •     •     •  ) 

660  Krupp  gun  .     .     .  r  cartridges. 
8,490  Mountain  gun  .     .  ) 

and  we  turn  out  50,000  Eemington  cartridges  a 
week. 

Fifty  Arab  horsemen  came  down  on  our  foraging 
party  who  were  outside  Bourr6,  but  the  steamer 
drove  them  back. 

No  escaped  soldiers  came  in  to-day.  I  expect  they 
are  all  close  prisoners. 

There  are  fifty  nuggars  at  Berber  with  the  Arabs. 

I  am  sure  I  should  like  that  fellow  Egerton.  There 
is  a  light-hearted  jocularity  about  his  communica- 
tions, and  I  should  think  the  cares  of  life  sat  easily 
on  him.  Notice  the  slip  in  margin.  He  wishes  to 
know  exactly  ''  day,  hour,  and  minute "  that  he 
(Gordon)  expects  to  be  in  "  difficulties  as  to  provi- 
sions and  ammunition."  ^^ 

65  "Dear  General  Gordon, 

"5Ir.  Egerton  has  asked  me  to  send  you  the  following::  — 
August  30th.  Tell  Gordon  steamers  are  being  passed  over  second  Cata- 
racts, and  that  we  wish  to  be  informed  through  Dongola  exactly  when 
he  expects  to  be  in  difficulties  as  to  provisions  and  ammunition."  Mes- 
sage ends,  "Lord  Wolseley  is  coming  out  to  command.  The  SSth  Regi- 
ment is  now  being  sent  from  Haifa  to  Dongola.  Sir  E.  Wood  is  at 
Haifa.  Generals  Earle,  Dormer,  Bnller,  and  Fremantle  are  coming  up 
Nile  with  troops.  1  think  an  e.xpedition  will  be  sent  across  from  here  lo 
Kartoum,  while  another  goes  with  steamer  to  Berber.  A  few  words 
about  what  j'ou  wish  done  would  be  very  acceptable. 

"Yours,  H.  H.  Kitchener,  R.  E. 

"  Debbeh,  August  31st." 


68  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Now  I  really  think  if  Egerton  was  to  turn  over 
the  "archives"  (a  delicious  word)  of  his  office,  he 
would  see  we  had  been  in  difficulties  for  provisions 
for  some  months.  It  is  as  if  a  man  on  the  bank, 
having  seen  his  friend  in  river  already  bobbed  down 
two  or  three  times,  hails,  "  I  say,  old  fellow,  let  us 
know  when  we  are  to  throw  you  the  life  buoy ;  I 
know  you  have  bobbed  down  two  or  three  times, 
but  it  is  a  pity  to  throw  you  the  life  buoy  until  you 
really  are  in  extremis,  and  I  want  to  know  exactly^ 
for  I  am  a  man  brought  up  in  a  school  of  exactitude, 
though  I  did  forget  (?)  to  date  my  June  telegram 
about  that  Bedouin  escort  contract.^^ 

Turn  to  page  54,  "  Send  for  Wolseley,"  &c.  I  see 
that  they  did  send  for  him  just  a  month  before; 
"nasty  moving  cities,  and  very  nasty  Soudan." 

Egerton's  cipher  telegram,'^'^  which  I  cannot  deci- 
pher through  Stewart  having  taken  the  book,  is 
short,  but  I  feel  sure  is  weighty,  and  I  regret  deeply 
I  cannot  get  at  its  contents,  which  I  think  would 
afford  matter  for  amusing  comment. 

C6  "  Cairo,  August  20th,  10.30  p.  m. 

"  To  General  Gordon, 

"  445737  —  905-309  — 185115  —  417291  —  55267G  —  792996  —  271381 
—  511 90G  —  6893G3  —  945242  —  220739  —  G48255  —  102037  —  G20054  — 
535222  —  G72318  —  277535  —  134971  —  4G7430  —  203151  —  8049G0  — 
483289  — G81510." 

The  following  was  written  on  the  back  of  this  cipher  telegram:  — 
"Your  letters  of  13/7/84  and  20/7/84  have  been  received,  and 

their  contents  telegraphed  on.  ■  Tiie  last  news  here  is  (he  35th  Regiment 

IP  '  " 

has  been  ordered  to  advance  from  Haifa  to  Dongola  at  once.     General 

Earle  commands  expedition,  Bnller  C.  of  S.,  Dormer  and    Fremantle 

brigades.     All  coming  up.      Lord  Wolsele}'  leaves  London  directly  to 

take  over  supreme   command.     All  well   here.     Jliidir  working  well. 

No  danger.     Sir  E.  Wood  is  at  Haifa  sending  on  troops. 

"  H.  H.  Kitchener. 
"  Debbeh,  29th  August,  1884." 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  69 

The  Mudir  of  Dongola  sent  me  a  telegram  which 
is  on  other  side.*'''  He  tells  me  of  the  extreme 
anxietude  which  pervaded  Cairo  (when  they  heard 
Berber  had  fallen,  and  it  was  rumoured  Kartoum 
had  ditto),  for  the  retirement  of  the  Dongola  people. 
"Throw  things  into  the  river,"  &c.,  "but  come 
away,"  "  we  are  very  fond  of  yon,"  "  useless  to  stay," 
&c.,  &c.  The  Mudir  laughs  over  it,  I  think,  and 
saw  the  kind  instruction,  "  raise  barrier  on  barrier 
between  Kartoum  and  its  sister  beleaguered  cities 
and  Cairo  ;  let  us  hear  the  last  of  these  moving  cities 
and  Halomans."  What  awful  disgust  at  this  resur- 
rection! I  made  the  Mudir  a  Pasha;  he  was  an  old 
officer  of  mine.  When  I  came  up  I  ordered  him 
down,  as  my  oixlers  were  to  organize  country  toith 
Soudanese  employSs,  not  that  he  was  bad.  Cairo 
(how  they  must  wring  their  hands  over  it  now)  re- 
monstrated and  asked  me  to  leave  him,  which  I  did, 
and  he  saved  Dongola,  and  indirectly  Kartoum,  for 
had  I  put  a  native  in  he  would  have  gone  over  to 
the  Mahdi,  like  Hussein  Pasha  Khalifa  did,  and 
then  I  really  think  that  the  tomb  would  have  been 
securely  sealed,  and  R.  I.  P.  to  all  of  us.  When  one 
thinks  that  Cairo  saved  us  by  interfering  with  my 
removal  of  this  man,  it  must  add  bitterness  to  the 
cup  they  have  to  drink !  The  telegrams  about  this 
man's  reinstatement,  and  my  answer,  are  in  Stewart's 
Journal  about  the  month  of  March. 

I  am  arranging  attack  on  Berber  with  four  steam- 
er Telegram  Mudir  of  Dongola,  saj-ing  Cairo  Government  had  shown 
pressing  benevolence  for  him  to  evacuate  and  thus  rivet  the  "  tombstone  " 
over  Kartoum.  — Ed. 


70  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

ers  and  Krupps,  as  soon  as  steamers  come  from  Sen- 
naar. 

Spies  with  letters  started  for  Dongola  yesterday. 

I  hope  Stewart  will  get  hold  of  all  copies  of  tele- 
grams sent  to  us  from  Cairo  for  his  Journal,  and 
which  the  Arabs  captured  (lovely  reading! ),  also 
that  he  will  find  out  result  of  Hewitt's  Mission  to 
King  John,  and  of  Baring's  negotiations  for  "  open- 
ing of  the  road  from  Suakin  and  Berber,"  he  spoke 
about  on  the  29th  of  March !  which  caused  hilarity 
up  here,  and  which  led  to  his  angering  Cuzzi,  who, 
idiot-like,  questioned  the  sagacity  and  success  of  the 
step,  and,  getting  turned  out,  paid  us  both  (in  all 
probability)  by  betraying  Berber  to  the  Arabs. 

Egerton  is  a  statistician,  he  evidently  is  collecting 
material  for  some  great  work.  What  earthly  use  is 
it  to  us  for  Egerton  "  to  know  exactly  our  want  of 
provisions,"  when  he  is  1500  miles  away!  I  am 
vexed  at  not  getting  at  the  pith  of  his  cipher  tele- 
gram ;  all  I  can  see  is  that  7775  (Zubair's  name)  is 
not  in  it. 

I  am  preparing  to  clear  out  of  the  palace,  in  toto, 
leaving  the  telegraph  only,  and  go  into  the  Mudiriat, 
so  there  will  be  plenty  of  room  for  the  staff,  if  they 
come  up,  which  is  even  now  a  question  to  me. 

From  Lord  Northbrook  coming  out,  I  infer  that 
Baring  has  returned  to  Cairo,  and  that  my  friend 
Egerton  has  gone  back  to  the  Acropolis.  I  hope  he 
will  say  a  good  word  to  the  King  of  Hellenes  in  fa- 
vour of  Leonidas,  the  Greek  Consul  here,  who  has 
behaved  worthy  of  his  ancestor  of  Thermopylae,  on  a 
small  scale. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  71 

I  have  a  firm  conviction  we  will  not  cIo  anything; 
in  Egypt  that  will  succeed,  unless  we  fall  into  accord 
with  France,  which  would  not  be  difficult  to  do. 

Arabi  Pasha's  private  secretary,  whom  even  Stew- 
art with  all  his  Job-like  patience  had  to  give  up  as  a 
bad  job,  came  to-day  to  say  "he  was  starving,"  so  I 
have  given  him  XIO  a  month  again.  How  he  ever 
got  on  with  Arabi  is  a  wonder ;  he  and  Stewart  used 
to  spend  hours,  hob  and  nob,  translating  Arabic  let- 
ters, and  then  Stewai-t  found  out  that  the  man  had 
just  exercised  his  own  in'^aginations  and  taken  not 
the  least  pains  to  give  the  sense  of  these  letters'  con- 
tents. 

The  Shaggyeh  are  breaking  my  heart  with  their 
family  quarrels.  I  shall  go  to  Half ey eh  (Z?.  V.)  to- 
morrow to  see  after  them.  They  captured  five  men 
who  had  been  pardoned,  and  had  gone  back  to  the 
Arabs,  and  want  me  to  kill  them,  which  I  refuse  to 
do,  for  who  are  the  rebels  ?  we  or  the  Arabs.  I  am 
responsible  for  the  judicial  murder  of  the  two 
Pashas ;  beyond  this  I  have  put  no  man  to  death. 

I  think  Colonel  Stewart  is  hard  on  our  men  as  to 
their  cowardice ;  they  are  not  heroes,  I  grant,  but 
they  are  not,  to  my  mind,  entire  cowards  ;  "  they  do 
not  see  it,"  that  is  all ;  but  if  they  are  put  in  a  posi- 
tion where  there  is  a  chance,  2ifair  chance  of  success, 
they  will  take  advantage  of  it  and  be  plucky.  The 
Chinese  are  of  the  same  temperament.  "No  two 
piecey  man  can  stay  one  place  ;  supposing  you  come, 
I  must  go."  This  is  an  acknowledged  maxim  in  the 
East. 

A  spy  came  in,  and  says  that  Sheikh  el  Obeyed 


T2  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

has  news  in  Ins  camp  that  Ahdel  Kader  Pasha  (what 
a  bother  for  Sanderson  all  these  Abdel  Kaders  whom 
he  may  mix  up  with  the  one  of  Algier)  is  loith  troops 
at  Ifassala. 

Two  more  mines  exploded  at  Omdurman  when  they 
were  being  taken  up  to  renew  the  fuses,  but  did  no 
harm. 

I  saw  the  Shaggyeh  chief  Abdul  Hamed  to-day. 
He  says  that  Said  and  Ibrahim  Hassan  Pashas  ^^ 
were  not  guilty,  and  that  the  Arabs  looted  their 
houses  when  they  heard  they  had  been  killed  by  me, 
which  they  would  not  have  done  had  they  been 
really  in  communication  with  them.  I  shall  send 
for  their  families  and  give  them  each  £1000,  which 
is  all  I  can  do. 

The  Toipjilcia  went  up  and  had  her  usual  fight 
with  the  Arabs. 

Report  is  that  a  soldier  has  taken  the  breech 
pieces  of  the  two  Krupp  guns  with  the  Arabs,  and 
has  run  away,  rendering  them  useless. 

If  Abdel  Kader  is  at  Kassala  what  on  earth  are 
our  people  about  not  to  tell  me,  for  of  course  I  could 
help  him.  We  seem  to  have  lost  our  heads  in  the 
Intelligence  Department,  though  it  costs  enough 
money. 

As  for  "  evacuation,''^  it  is  one  thing ;  as  for  "  rat- 
ting ovt,^^  it  is  another.  I  am  quite  of  advice  as  to 
No.  1  (as  we  have  not  the  decision  to  keep  the  coun- 
try), but  I  will  be  no  party  to  No.  2  (this  "  rat " 
business),   1st,  because  it  is   dishonourable;    2nd, 

OS  The  two  black  Pashas  condemned  to  death  by  court-martial  for 
treachery  on  March  20th, 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  73 

because  it  is  not  jjossible  (ivhich  will  have  more 
weight^  ;  therefore,  if  it  is  going  to  be  No.  2,  the 
troops  had  better  not  come  beyond  Berber  till  the 
question  of  what  will  be  done  is  settled.  So  I  will 
end  this  book. 

C.  G.  Gordon. 

23  Sept.,  1884. 

N.  B.  —  To  be  copied  and  read  by  Colonel  Stew- 
art, if  he  likes,  and  extracts  given  Mr.  Power  (as  by 
promise).  Afterwards  to  be  given  to  Miss  Gordon, 
Southampton,  if  not  wanted  by  the  Foreign  Office. 


BOOK  11. 


Upon  outside  ivrapper : 
COLONEL  STEWART,  C.  M.  G., 

OR 

Chief  of  the  Staff,  Soudan  Expeditionary  Force. 


Journal  Events,  Kartoum,  23  to  30  Sept.,  1884. 

Contains  no  secrets  as  far  as  I  am  concerned.  Official  parts 
those  not  scratched  through.  Contains  map  of  Berber  ;  large 
scale. 

Chief  of  the  Staff,  Soudan  Expeditionary  Force. 

For  Lt.-Col.  Stewart,  C.  M.  G.     If  not  with  the  army,  for 
Gejteral  Lord  Wolseley,  G.  C.  B. 

On  Book  itself: 

II. 

GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

From  23  September  till  30  September. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 
N.  B.  — Will  require  pruning  down,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON, 

23/9/84. 
Upon  inside : 

II. 

GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

From  23  September  till  ,  1884. 

N.  B.  —  It  will  require  to  be  pruned  out,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 
23/9/84. 


JOURNAL. 


September  24.  —  My  view  is  this,  as  to  the  opera- 
tions of  British  forces.  I  will  put  three  steamers, 
each  with  two  guns  on  them,  and  an  armed  force  of 
infantry  at  disposal  of  any  British  authority  ;  will 
send  these  steamers  to  either  Metemma,  opposite 
Shendy,  or  to  the  Cataract  below  Berber,  to  there 
meet  any  British  Force  which  may  come  across 
country  to  the  Nile.  These  steamers,  with  this  force 
coming  across  country,  will  (/>.  F.)  capture  Ber- 
ber and  then  communicate  with  Kartoum.  The 
steamers  will  have  a  month's  provisions.  I  would 
not  attempt  to  pass  the  hulk  of  British  Force  across 
country,  only  the  fighting  column,  to  co-operate  with 
the  three  steamers.  No  artillery  is  wanted  with 
either  force ;  it  is  not  needed  in  any  way  in  this 
country.  When  Berber  is  taken  I  should  keep  the 
bulk  of  the  forces  there,  and  send  up  the  fighting 
column  to  Kartoum,  after  having  arranged  for  its 
provisions,  for  I  cannot  feed  them  ;  then,  in  combi- 
nation with  us,  clear  out  rebels  from  A  to  B,  —  an 
affair  of  a  week ;  then  decide  on  your  future  policy. 
It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  understand  that  we 
cannot  hurry  over  this  affair.^     If  we  do  we  will  in- 

1  /.  e.  the  future  of  the  Soudan.  —  Ed. 


78 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


cur  disaster.  I  have  spoken  of  the  division  of  Brit- 
ish forces  into  two  lots,  one  a  small  fighting  column 
co-operating  across  country  with  the  steamers  which 
will  meet  them,  where  you  like,  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  White  Nile  ;  the  other,  composed  of  bulk,  with- 


DongolaO 


Abou 
PHamed 


out  artillery,  coming  up  right  bank  of  the  Nile. 
Now  if  I  were  doing  this,  I  should,  by  the  Abbas 
steamer,  work  up  by  Merow^,^  Abou  Hamed,  to 
Berber,  by  a  series  of  small  stations  with  small  gar- 
risons. I  should  at  once  get  on  each  step  of  the 
Nile  ladder  steam  launches  from  Cairo,  &c.,  and  put 
them  in  the  open  strips  as  previously  explained  in 
2  7.  e.  4th  Cataract.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


79 


page  49  of  my  journal,  Vol.  No.  1.^  I  then  have 
my  route  open  to  Dongola  where  the  bulk  of  the 
forces  remain. 

Saying  the  chain  of  posts  is  established,  that,  in 
the  interim,  the  Arab  forces  at  A  and  B  are  dis- 


%  Abou 
^Hamed 


Berber 


persed,  then  you  say  evacuate.  "Well,  without  mov- 
ing the  bulk,  and,  with  the  aid  of  the  fighting 
column,  you  can  get  down  the  Sennaar  lot,  while 
steamers  can  bring  down  the  Equator  and  Bahr 
Gazelle  garrisons.  Now  this  will  take  at  least  six 
months  from  the  present  date  (for  you  will  not  come 

8  L  e.  p.  47.  —  Ed. 


80  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

for  a  montK),  You  then  begin  your  downward 
march,  and  are  harassed  all  the  way,*  and  the 
Mahdi  will  say  he  kicked  you  out.  You  see  you 
are  in  for  six  months,  and  if  you  evacuate  all  your 
prestige  vanishes.  It  is  therefore,  I  say,  either, 
when  once  you  have  got  up  to  Kartoum,  give  the 
country  to  the  Turks,  or  else  establish  Zubair,  and 
(instead  of  expending  time  in  going  up  to  Sennaar 
and  the  Equator)  combinating  with  us,  commence 
an  attack  upon  Kordofan.  You  must  be  here  six 
months.  How  will  you  spend  the  time  ?  Will  you 
at  the  end  of  six  months  allow  it  to  be  said  you  are 
kicked  out,  or  will  you  not  establish  some  govern- 
ment and  retire  with  dignity.  The  cost  is  the  same 
in  both  cases  in  money  ;  but  in  honour  one  costs  a 
great  deal  more.  If  Zubair  falls,  after  some  time, 
what  is  it  to  you  ?  You  did  your  best  and  save  your 
honour,  and  you  save  a  mint  of  difficulties  and 
troubles,  which  these  expeditions  to  Sennaar  a»d 
Equator  involve.  You  will  not  be  obliged  to  go 
fifty  miles  beyond  Kartoum.^  As  for  the  Equator, 
give  it  to  me,  and  I  will  (Z>.  F.)  keep  it  from  Zu- 
bair.    It  is  a  thousand  pities  to  give  up  Kartoum  to 

*  "In  Colonel  Coetlogon's  opinion  the  rebels  will  retire  south  on  the 
approach  of  the  British,  and  await  events.  General  Gordon  would  cer- 
tainly refuse  to  go  unless  the  population  and  garrison  were  guaranteed 
safe  departure.  The  population  and  garrisons  of  Kartoum  and  Sen- 
naar amount  to  about  40,000  to  50,000  souls,  and  it  would  take  two 
years  to  remove  them.  As  the  places  become  evacuated  the  rebels 
would  enter  and  become  hostile  in  front  and  in  the  rear."  —  Times,  13 
Sept.,  1884.— Ed. 

5  General  Gordon  proposed  to  the  Government  to  give  to  the  King  of 
the  Belgians  the  Bahr  Gazelle  and  Equatorial  provinces,  and  from  the 
first  time  he  suggested  the  appoinmient  of  Zubair,  he  had  determined  to 
defend  those  provinces  from  all  slave  raids. — Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  81 

the  Mahdi  when  there  is  a  chance  of  keeping  it 
under  Zubair. 

The  fighting  force  can  take  the  guns  of  the  steam- 
ers, if  they  need  artillery ;  they  are  very  good  guns 
and  have  field  carriages  with  limbers.  I  shall  not 
send  down  the  castellated  barges  or  the  Krupp  guns. 
Should  you  cross  the  desert  en  masse,  the  way  to 
guard  your  communications  is  to  occupy,  with  a  com- 
pany, all  the  wells  in  a  good  large  radius,  for  the 
Arabs  cannot  come  down  on  your  line  of  communi- 
cation, not  being  able  to  get  water.  This  is  the  only 
way  to  deal  with  the  Bedouins,  or  slave  hunters. 

The  elephants  came  up  by  the  wells  of  Gabra,^ 
direct  from  Debbeh  to  Kartoum.  Care  should  be 
taken  on  approaching  Omdurman,  for  there  are 
rather  a  timid  lot  there  (fellaheen). 

You  must  consider  whether  you  will  not  send  down 
those  dreadful  Bashi  Bazouks,  the  scum  of  Alex- 
andria, and  the  fellaheen  soldiers,  on  arrival,  for 
they  are  of  little  use,  and  eat  us  up. 

For  my  pai't,  I  should  not  hesitate  to  ride  down 
with  three  hundred  men  (having  taken  precaution  to 
have  made  arrangements  with  the  Kababish  tribe) 
from  Kartoum  to  Debbeh. 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  making  flying  bridges 
across  the  Nile  with  the  country  boats,  however 
wide,  using  telegraph  wire  twisted  in  six  or  eight 
strands. 

Seyd  Mahomet  Osman's  little  boy,  aged  nine  years, 
was  caught  by  Arabs,  and   behaved   like  a  hero : 

6  The  Gabra  wells  are  about  thirty  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Kar- 
toum. —  Ed. 

6 


82  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

"  He  was  not  going  to  be  a  Dervish.  He  was  as 
much  the  Mahdi  as  Mahomet  Achmet ;  and  they 
might  kill  him  if  they  liked,  &c.  He  was  going  to 
stay  with  the  Government  and  Gordon  Pasha."  They 
left  him  alone. 

The  Sandjak  described  the  scene  a>s  splendid  :  the 
little  fellow  with  flaming  eyes,  gesticulating  and 
stamping  with  fury. 

"  U.  S.  C.,'   6.30  P.  M.  —  Did  you  ever  hear  of 

such  a  thing  ?     ^  is  appointed  to . 

A  more  barefaced  job  never  ivas  perpetrated.  Why, 
the  man  has  done  nothing,  absolutely  nothing.  Atro- 
cious !  But  ivhat  can  you  expect  ?  The  whole  lot 
of  them  are  off  again,  a  regular  autumn  flight  ! 
What!  eh!  you  will  see  them  all  at  Christmas'' 
(waxing  more  wroth).  "  I  declare  I  have  half  a 
mind  to  go  to  the  Mahdi,"  &c.     Page  interrupts : 

"  Lady is  waiting  in  the  brougham."    Collapse 

and  exit. 

I  cannot  too  much  impress  on  you  that  this  expe- 
dition will  not  encounter  any  enemy  worth  the  name 
in  an  European  sense  of  the  word ;  the  struggle  is 
with  the  climate  and  destitution  of  the  country.  It 
is  one  of  time  and  patience,  and  of  small  parties  of 
determined  men,  backed  by  native  allies,  which  are 
got  by  policy  and  money.  A  heavy  lumbering  col- 
umn, however  strong,  is  nowhere  in  this  land.  Par- 
ties of  forty  or  sixty  men,  swiftly  moving  about,  will 
do  more  than  any  column.  If  you  lose  two  or  three, 
what  of  it  —  it  is  the  chance  of  war.     Native  allies 

7  United  Service  Club.  — Ed. 

8  The  blanks  are  General  Gordon's.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  83 

above  all  things,  at  whatever  cost.  It  is  the  country 
of  the  irregular,  not  of  the  regular.  If  you  move  in 
mass  you  will  find  no  end  of  difficulties  ;  whereas,  if 
you  let  detached  parties  dash  out  here  and  there,  you 
will  spread  dismay  in  the  Arab  ranks.  The  time  to 
attack  is  the  dawn,  or  rather  before  it  (this  is  stale 
news),  but  sixty  men  would  put  these  Arabs  to 
flight  just  before  dawn,  which  one  thousand  could 
not  accomplish  in  daylight.  This  was  always  Zu- 
bair's  tactics.  The  reason  is  that  the  strength  of 
the  Arabs  is  their  horsemen,  who  do  not  dare  to  act 
in  the  dark.  I  do  hope  you  will  not  drag  on  that 
artillery  :  it  can  only  produce  delay  and  do  little 
good.  I  can  say  I  owe  the  defeats  in  this  country 
to  having  artillery  with  me,  which  delayed  me  much, 
and  it  was  the  artillery  with  Hicks  which,  in  my 
opinion,  did  for  him.^ 

Ten  thousand  times  better  for  us  to  perish  than 
for  you  to  run  the  risk ;  and  besides  that,  I  have  a 

8  The  following  extract  from  Herodotus  is  pasted  on  the  opposite  side 
of  page  in  the  original  journal:  "The  spies  having  seen  everything 
returned  home;  and  when  they  reported  all  they  had  passed,  Cambyses 
inarched  against  the  Ethiopians  without  making  any  provision  for  the 
subsistence  of  his  army,  or  once  considering  that  he  was  going  to  carry 
his  arms  to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  world ;  but  as  a  madman  and  not 
in  possession  of  his  senses,  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  reports  of  the  Icthv- 
ophagi  he  set  out  on  his  march ;  .  .  .  but  before  the  army  had  passed 
over  a  fifth  part  of  the  way  all  the  provisions  were  exhausted,  and  after 
the  provisions  the  beasts  of  burden  were  eaten.  Now  if  Cambyses  had 
then  led  back  his  army  he  would  have  proved  himself  a  wise  man.  He, 
however,  went  on  ;  but  afterwards  none,  except  the  Ammonians,  and 
those  who  have  heard  their  reports,  are  able  to  give  account  of  them ; 
for  they  neither  reached  the  Aminonians  nor  returned  back,  but  the  re- 
port was  that  heaps  of  sand  covered  them  over  and  they  disappeared." 
General  Gordon  has  written  against  this  extract :  —  "  Hicks'  arm}'  dis- 
appeared.   This  expedition  was  made  into  these  lands."  —  Ed. 


84  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

confident  belief  we  will  not  {D.  V.}  perish.  The 
usual  hammer  and  tongs  fusillade  will  go  on,  but 
they  will  not  attack  the  place,  and  we  will  not  go 
out  against  them ;  while  you  will  creep  on  quietly 
and  safely,  and  send  out  your  feelers,  making  raids 
upon  these  Arabs.  I  would  let  Buller  have  full 
swing  for  all  these  little  biting  expeditions.  I  be- 
lieve he  is  well  off  (and  I  think  not  married,  which 
is  an  enormous  advantage)  ;  and  he  and  his  subor- 
dinates will  learn  scouting,  &c.,  in  a  good  school. 
It  is  this  very  same  warfare  we  will  have  to  exercise 
if  ever  we  would  oppose  Russia  in  her  advance  on 
Afghanistan  —  i.  e.  of  going  up  and  landing  in  the 
Persian  Gulf,  and  cutting  in  on  their  flank.  So  it 
will  be  a  good  school  for  him  and  his. 

The  wretched  peasant,  with  that  filthy  cloth,  which 
you  see,  is  a  determined  warrior,  who  can  undergo 
thirst  and  privation,  who  no  more  cares  for  pain  or 
death  than  if  he  were  of  stone.  The  young  fellows 
even  have  a  game  by  which  they  test  who  will  bear 
the  lash  of  the  hiiJiDopotamus'  whip  best.  They  are 
in  their  own  land  ;  the  pains  of  war  are  their  ordinary 
life  ;  and  they  are  supported  by  religion  of  a  fanat- 
ical kind,  influenced  by  the  memory  of  years  of  suf- 
fering at  the  hands  of  an  effete  set  of  Bashi  Bazouks. 
No ;  if  our  Kentish  or  Yorkshire  boys  are  to  come 
up  to  help  me,  it  is  not  with  my  wish,  unless  with 
the  greatest  precaution.  Thank  God  we  have  few 
Europeans  here,  and  those  I  can  (Z).  V.^  care  for, 
and  you  need  not  fear  for  our  retreat ;  and  if  we  die, 
why,  when  we  entered  the  army  we  sold  our  lives  at 
so  much  a  day.     I  verily  believe  no  merchant  would 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  85 

give  me  ^200,  which,  to  me,  is  the  current  value  of 
the  man  in  this  world. 

It  is  the  most  extraordinary  thing-,  quite  incom- 
prehensible, that  with  only  one  exception,  that  of 
Zubair's  man  who  came  from  Cairo  (with  Egerton's 
famous  despatch  about  contracts),  not  one  single 
messenger  has  entered  this  place  on  the  proper  ini- 
tiative of  outsiders.  It  has  been  invariably  my  mes- 
sengers, who  were  sent  out  by  me,  from  Kartoum, 
who  did  bring  me  any  news.  It  would  seem  as  if 
those  outside  seemed  to  think  it  was  my  duty  to  send 
out  and  bring  in  news  for  myself,  and  that  they  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it.  Either  these  officers  outside 
do  not  care  to  spend  a  sou  in  spies  to  give  me  in- 
formation, or  else  they  think  it  is  a  matter  of 
supreme  indifference  whether  I  know  what  is  going 
on  or  not ;  and  I  must  say  when  my  messengers  do 
come  back,  they  bring  me  scarcely  any  information 
of  import.  There  is  a  lot  of  "  I  hope  you  are  well," 
&c. ;  men  like  Kitchener  and  Chermside  might  be 
expected  to  have  more  brains  than  that.^*^  If  I  had 
not  exerted  myself  in  the  spy  business,  we  never 
would  have  had  a  word,  I  verily  believe.  I  never 
saw  such  a  poor  lot  as  these  outsiders.  Even  if  they 
had  had  to  pay  .£20  out  of  their  own  pockets,  one 
might  have  expected  them  to  do  it,  considering  the 
circumstances.  They  might  have  been  paid  back. 
But  neither  Her  Majesty's  Ministers  in  Cairo,  nor 
these  men  have  seemed  to  care  a  jot  to  inform  us. 
Silly  foolish  questions  are  all  we  ever  have  got  from 

1"  General  Gordon  was  under  the  impression  that  Colonel  Chermside 
was  at  Debbeh,  whereas  he  was,  in  fact,  at  Suakin.  —  Ed. 


86  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

them,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  I  am 
indignant  with  such  unpatriotic  conduct,  and  not 
inclined  to  be  over  civil  beyond  my  duty.  I  never 
saw  such  a  feeble  lot  in  my  life  !  One  has  only  to 
compare  the  telegrams,  &c.,  we  sent  down,  with  the 
rubbish  sent  in  by  our  oion  messencjers  I  paid  for. 

Two  children  and  three  escaped  soldiers  came  in 
to-day  from  the  Arabs,  but  had  no  news. 

Read  "  Floyer's  "  telegram,  with  Kitchener's  note 
to  Stewart  on  same  paper  —  it  perfectly  exasperates 
one.  Kitchener  asks  Stewart  "  what  he  can  do  for 
him  " —  nothing  of  what  has  gone  on  with  respect  to 
the  Soudan  since  Graham's  expedition.  Of  course 
men  are  not  obliged  to  write  at  all. 

I  altogether  decline  the  imputation  that  the  pro- 
jected expedition  has  come  to  relieve  me.  It  has 
come  to  SA  VE  OUR  NATIONAL  HONOUR 
in  extricating  the  garrisons,  ^c,  from  a  jposition 
our  action  in  Egyiit  has  j^lctc&d  these  gar'risons.  I 
was  relief  exjjedition  No.  1.  They  are  relief  expe- 
dition No.  2.  As  for  myself  I  coidd  make  good  my 
retreat  at  any  moment  if  I  wished.  Now  realise 
what  would  happen  if  this  first  relief  expedition 
was  to  bolt  and  the  steamers  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Mahdi :  this  second  relief  expedition  (for  the 
honour  of  England  engaged  in  extricating  garri- 
sons) would  be  somewhat  hampered.  We  the  first 
and  second  expeditions  are  equally  engaged  for  the 
honour  of  England.  This  is  fair  logic.  /  came  up 
to  extricate  the  garriso?is  and  failed.  Earle  comes 
up)  to  extricate  garrisoyis  and  (/  hope^  succeeds. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  87 

Earle  does  not  come  to  extricate  me}^  The  extrica- 
tion of  the  garrisons  was  supposed  to  affect  our  "  na- 
tional honour."  If  Earle  succeeds  the  "  national 
honour  "  thanks  him  and  I  hope  rewards  him,  but 
it  is  altogether  independent  of  me,  who  for  failing 
incurs  its  blame.  I  am  not  the  rescued  lamh,  and  I 
will  not  be. 

Had  Gessi  dared  to  have  communicated  with  me 
like  these  men  have,  he  would  have  heard  of  it ;  but 
he  never  did. 

The  Towjihia  steamer  went  up  and  saw  no  Arabs 
at  Giraffe  to-day. 

Look  at  this  :  I  send  down  a  spy,  A.  Kitchener 
and  Co.  send  him  back  with  answer.  If  Kitchener 
and  Co.  thought,  they  would  know  that  A.,  being 
seen  passing  to  and  fro,  must  incur  susjiicion  ;  how- 
ever, A.  happily  gets  through  with  risk  (not  having, 
by  the  way,  had  one  penny  from  K.  and  Co.)  ;  then 
all  communication  stops  till  I  send  down  B.  What 
is  Kitchener  doing  at  Debbeh  ?  that  he  could  not 
write  a  better  letter  than  to  tell  me  the  names  of 
the  generals  and  regiments  —  a  matter  of  the  most 
supreme  indifference  to  Kartoum. 

Septemher  25. — Arabs  came  down  to  the  Blue 
Nile  in  some  force,  but  the  Mansovorali  going  up, 
and  our  men  pushing  along  the  bank,  they  all  fled. 
I  am  going  to  Halfeyeh  to  see  the  Shaggyeh,  who 
are  the  worry  of  my  heart.     Having  gone  down,  I 

11  The  primary  object  of  the  expedition  up  the  Valley  of  the  Nile 
is  to  bring  away  General  Gordon  and  Colonel  Stewart  from  Kartoum. 
When  that  object  has  been  secured  no  further  offensive  operations  of 
any  kind  are  to  be  undertaken.  — Eyypt,  No.  35,  1884;  No.  157.  —  Ed. 


88       GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

found  a  very  fair  market,  and  the  Shaggyahs  less 
irritating  than  I  expected  to  find  them. 

Question.  What  was  the  policy  of  her  Majesty's 
Government  in  sending  up  General  Gordon  ? 

Answer.  To  endeavour  to  retire  the  garrisons  hy 
quiet  means. 

Qnestion.  "What  is  the  object  of  General  Earle's 
expedition  ? 

Answer.  The  same.  General  Gordon  having 
failed. 

Question.  If  General  Earle's  expedition  is  for 
the  retreat  of  General  Gordon  and  ends  there,  what 
is  the  result  ? 

Ansiver.  Her  Majesty's  Government  agree  that 
they  abandon  the  garrisons. 

There  is  no  jwssible  escape  froni  the  situation. 

According  to  accounts  from  Bourr^,  the  Arabs 
had  come  down  in  some  force  at  night,  and  had  hid 
in  villages  near  Bourre,  meaning  to  fall  upon  our 
foraging  parties  ;  they  did  not  bargain  for  the  Man- 
sowrah  coming  up  with  her  two  guns,  and  so  caught 
a  Tartar  when  they  emerged  to  attack  our  men,  and 
went  off  in  great  confusion  and  some  loss. 

An  escaped  soldier  came  in  from  the  Arabs  —  no 
news.  He  was  so  dreadfully  itchy,  I  could  not  keep 
my  patience,  or  keep  him  in  my  room.  He  saw 
liimself  in  the  mirror,  and  asked  who  it  was  ;  said 
he  did  not  know !  and  really  he  did  not  seem  to 
know.  It  stands  to  reason  that  in  countries  where 
there  are  no  mirrors,  every  one  must  be  a  complete 
stranger  to  himself,  and  would  need  an  introduc- 
tion. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  89 

I  wrote  to  Waled  a  Goun,  Arab  commander-in- 
chief,  as  follows  :  —  "I  went  to  Halfeyeh  to  see 
Shaggyeh,  found  five  men  there  ;  they  wanted  me 
to  kill  them,  for  being  of  your  family,  who  had  gone 
back  to  you  after  pretending  to  join  me.  I  ques- 
tioned these  five  men ;  they  said  they  could  not  bear 
the  smell  of  you,  and  that  the  Shaggyehs  had  wanted 
their  things,  and  so  had  invented  the  accusation.  I 
have  no  scales  to  weigh  the  truth  —  perhaps  Maho- 
met Achmet  Mahdi  has  —  so,  as  you  have  sent  me 
many  soldiers  of  late,  I  send  you  these  men.  I  have 
taken  the  body  of  your  Peacock  "  (alluding  to  the 
man  who  came  in  with  the  wonderful  dervish  dress), 
"  but  I  send  you  the  plumage  of  your  bird  on  an- 
other body."  I  have  put  the  dress  on  one  of  the 
men  I  sent  out. 

"  Why  did  you  run  away  so  swiftly  to-day  ?  was 
Abou  Gugiiz  there  ?  It  could  not  be  you,  for  you 
said  so  much  about  your  desire  to  die  at  the  fortifi- 
cations." 

"  As  for  knowing  the  truth  in  the  Soudan  it  is 
impossible,  for  the  devils  of  lying  and  robbery  are 
riding  all  over  the  country." 

I  gave  them  a  dollar  each  ;  they  leave  to-morrow. 
I  have  also  given  them  a  captured  Arab  flag  and  a 
captured  dervish  cap  each,  so  they  will  go  out  a 
grand  procession,  and  as  it  is  their  Sunday  (Fri- 
day), they  will  arrive  at  church  para.de. 

Thousands  of  cranes,  with  their  curious  cry,  are 
passing  over  every  day  ("  The  cranes  of  Ibycus." 
Few  ever  read  Schiller's  poems.  I  only  know  Bul- 
wer's  translation,   but    they  have    grand    things  in 


90  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

them.  "  The  Veiled  Image  of  Truth  at  Sais," 
"The  Ring  of  Polycrates,"  for  who  can  hear  plain 
truth?     Who  can  bear  success?). 

The  notables  were  in  a  regular  state  about  my 
going  to  Halfeyeh  to-day.  A  deputation  came  to 
prevent  it,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  The  Mudir  threw 
himself  down  and  embraced  my  feet,  begging  me 
not  to  go ;  but,  as  I  thought  his  solicitude  was  ac- 
tuated more  by  the  wish  to  prevent  me  going  to 
where  he  has,  I  expect,  been  robbing  right  and  left, 
than  my  security,  I  did  not  attend  much  to  him.  I 
should  break  the  hearts  of  our  F.  O.,  for  I  say 
openly,  "  As  your  Government  is  bad,  and  will  give 
you  nothing  when  you  are  decrepit,  rob  away  gayly, 
but  with  wisdom,  and  do  not  let  me  hear  of  it." 

The  Arabs  will  be  in  an  awful  rage  to-morrow 
with  the  procession  of  the  five  Dervishes  with  cap- 
tured flags,  &c.  You  can  scarcely  imagine  the  state 
(well  known  to  Stewart,  Power,  and  Herbin)  one 
gets  in,  when  one  is  constantly  hearing  explosions ; 
what  with  the  guns,  mines,  and  musketry,  one's 
nerves  get  strained,  and  nothing  can  drop  without 
one  thinking  it  is  an  explosion.  What  the  Russians 
underwent  at  Sevastopol  must  have  been  terrible. 
As  Hansall,  the  Austrian  Consul,  says,  it  is  ahrutis- 
sant.  It  has  slackened  off  now,  but  still  any  loud 
noise,  in  this  clear  air,  makes  me  jump  (i.  e.  be, 
for  a  moment,  afraid)  like  any  man  who  rides  knows, 
when  his  horse,  as  it  were,  sinks  completely  beneath 
him,  on  a  sudden  start. 

I  look  forward  to  the  advent  of  some  of  the  Royal 
Navy  more  than  anything.     There  are  such  a  lot  of 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  91 

splendid  cutting-outs  and  surprises  to  be  made  by 
the  steamers,  and  the  steamers  are  first-rate  in  every 
respect.  Each  steamer  is  worth  two  thousand  men, 
if  well  handled,  and  they  have  all  on  board  grub 
and  ammunition,  and  want  no  commissariat  officers. 

If  I  were  Earle,  I  would  leave  all  the  principal 
medical  officers  at  Dongola,  and  only  take  on  the 
lowest  ranks  of  the  Army  Medical  Department. 

The  Principal  Medical  Officers  are  bores  and 
croakers,  and  want  all  sorts  of  attention.  A  man 
is  a  fool  or  a  physician  at  forty  years  of  age.  All 
in  this  country  you  want  is  to  keep  the  com^nunica- 
tion  open.,  and  Cockle  will  do  that.  As  for  wounds, 
there  will  be  none,  for  Arahs  give  7io  quarter ; 
neither  will  we,  I  expect,  if  we  go  over  one  hundred 
miles  of  desert. 

At  Halfeyeh  to-day,  going  round  the  Fort,  a  tal- 
low-faced Egyptian  dashed  out  with  the  most  fearful 
whine.  I  tried  to  cahn  him ;  no  good,  so  Cassim  el 
Mousse,  the  Shaggyeh  Meleh,  interfei'ed ;  no  use  ! 
the  man  (?)  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  and  del- 
uged himself  and  me  with  dust,  so  Cassim  gave  him 
a  wipe  over  the  head  with  his  Hippo  whip,  and  I 
ordered  him  to  be  taken  out  of  the  ranks  and 
.brought  to  Kartoum  ;  en  route  my  cavasses  came 
and  remonstrated,  saying  he  ought  to  be  secured, 
for  he  was  the  most  notorious  thief  of  Alexandria  ; 
so,  justly  or  not,  I  have  put  him  in  prison. 

It  would  be  a  great  mistake  to  think  the  troops 
are  down  in  the  mouth.  We  have  certainly  lost 
a  lot ;  but  the  men  are  as  determined  as  ever,  and 
only  think  it  their  due  if  they  are  aided.     Stewart 


92  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

talks  of  their  cowardice,  but  it  is  a  cowardice  of 
calculation,  and  it  would  be  a  great  mistake  if  the 
expeditionary  force  for  the  extrication  of  the  garri- 
sons comes  up  here,  and  thinks  the  men  are  going 
to  say  they  are  in  extremis.  (I  leave  out  Cairo 
troops  and  the  Bashi  Bazouks.)  The  black  soldiers 
do  not  think  they  have  been  beaten.  There  are  not 
many  armies  which  would  bear  with  the  equanimity 
these  troops  do,  the  loss  of  say  one-fifth  of  their 
numbers  killed,  which  was  the  case  in  one  defeat 
(only  twenty  days  ago)  of  Mahomet  Ali  Pasha. 

The  steamers  from  Sennaar  will  I  think  be  in 
to-morrow. 

The  question  to-day  at  Halfeyeh  was  this.  Cer- 
tain heads  of  families  had  gone  over  to  the  Arabs 
with  Saleh  Pasha  (we  put  a  sponge  over  that  affair), 
and  their  adherents,  being  in  Kartoum,  had  not 
gone  over  (not  their  fault)  ;  those  who  had  gone 
over  with  Saleh  Pasha  afterwards  came  over  to  me, 
and  asked  for  their  adherents  to  be  given  back  to 
them.  To  this  the  chiefs  of  families,  who  had  been 
in  Kartoum  and  who  had  kept  these  adherents  un- 
der them,  objected,  so  it  became  a  question  what  to 
do.  I  decided  to  ask  each  man  his  desire.  "  Will 
you  go  with  A.  or  B,  ?  "  The  men  came  in  at  the 
door,  and  after  having  elected,  they  went  out  of  the 
window,  for  there  were  not  two  doors ;  they  elected 
as  they  wished,  and  went  out  of  the  window.  Some 
came  in  and  thought  that  all  that  was  required  of 
them  was  to  come  in  at  the  door,  and  go  out  of  the 
window  as  quickly  as  possible  without  answering! 
I  do  love  to  study  mankind ;  he  is  far  better  than 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  93 

any  landscape.  These  fellows  knew  well  enough  I 
was  going  to  put  their  decision  on  them,  and  tried 
to  avoid  gi\^ng  any,  as  to  with  whom  they  would  go. 
It  was  somewhat  of  a  gymnastic  process  for  them  to 
go  out  of  the  window,  and  they  made  a  good  mess 
of  it ;  but  if  I  had  let  them  go  out  of  the  door  by 
which  they  had  entered,  inextricable  confusion 
would  have  occurred.  As  it  was,  we  had  resurrec- 
tions at  the  door  of  those  who  had  departed  by  the 
window,  which  caused  some  bother.  The  two  rival 
chiefs  were  present,  and  one's  object  was  to  prevent 
the  elector  looking  at  either  while  he  elected ;  some- 
times it  was  necessary  to  secure  that  the  pug-face 
was  fairly  on  the  clerk,  the  electing  officer,  who 
asked  the  question  A.  or  B.  I  will  back  the  eye  for 
knowledge  more  than  any  other  organ.  A  man  who 
does  not  look  you  in  the  face  in  answering  is  99 
times  in  100  a  liar. 

September  26.  —  There  is  one  great  question,  and 
if  you  know  a  person,  say,  K.  is  faitUess  and  is  seek- 
ing his  own,  ought  one  to  be  down  on  him?  We 
have  an  example  in  our  Lord.  He  knew  Judas  was 
going  to  betray  Him,  yet  He  did  not  denounce  him; 
from  which  I  infer,  if  we  know  even  that  K.  is  go- 
ing to  rat,  or  be  faithless,  unless  he,  K.,  gives  posi- 
tive proof  of  such  intention,  we  ought  to  treat  K.  as 
J.,  of  whom  we  have  no  suspicion  of  treachery.  I 
am  inclined  (satanically  I  own)  to  distrust  every 
one,  I.  e.  I  trust  every  one.  I  believe  that  circum- 
stances may  arise  when  self-interest  will  almost  com- 
pel your  nearest  relative  to  betray  you  to  some  ex- 


94  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

tent.  Man  is  an  essentially  treacherous  animal ;  and 
although  the  Psalmist  said  in  his  haste  "  all  men 
are  liars,"  I  think  he  might  have  said  the  same  at 
his  leisure. 

"  You  may  depend  upon  it,  I  will  do  my  best  for 
you  "  — to  chief  clerk  W.  O.  "  Why,  if  you  give  it 
to  him  we  must  give  it  to  more  than  forty.  It  is  out 
of  the  question."  What  is  the  result?  Why  the 
him  will  go  to  his  club  and  say,  "  Why  I  was  prom- 
ised it  and  did  not  get  it."  Whereas  if  he  had 
weighed  the  words,  he  would  have  seen  he  was  prom- 
ised only  "  the  best  he  could  do."  This  is  a  breach 
of  confidence,  but  it  is  an  example.     A   man  long 

ago  dead was  asked  by  a  lady  to  recommend 

her  son   for   an   appointment (who    was   most 

honest),  wrote  saying  so-and-so  wants  such  and  such 
a  thing,  but  that  he  did  not  think  the  young  man 
for  whom  the  appointment  was  solicited  was  worth 

much.     wrote  to  the  lady  to  say  he  had  done 

his  best.     Unfortunately  he  placed  the  letters  into 

wrong  envelopes.     The  lady  never  looked  on 

again.     Well,  I  suppose was  treacherous  to  the 

lady.  He  might  have  refused  to  write,  but  he  did 
more  —  he  did  the  young  man  harm  by  saying  he 
was  not  worth  much. 

I  like  to  take  things  in  a  light-hearted  way.  I  like 
the  tacit  contract,  "that  if  you  are  useful  to  me  I 
will  use  you  "  ;  and  "  that "  (with  full  belief)  "  if  I 
cease  to  be  useful  to  you  you  will  leave  me."  I  try 
and  act,  "  do  to  others  as  they  wish  you  to  do  to 
them."  I  would  never  put  a  man  in  any  position  I 
would  not  put  myself. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  95 

Although  man  is  the  essence  of  treachery,  I  be- 
lieve every  man  wishes  to  he  honest ;  his  interests 
prevent  him. 

The  five  men  went  out  to  Arab  lines  with  their 
Arab  flags,  on  which  a  church  parade,  which  was 
going  on,  dispersed. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  any  effort  to  relieve  the 
garrisons  made  from  the  outside  is  contemporaneous 
with  the  expiration  of  the  period  stated  in  March 
of  the  time  they  could  hold  out,  viz.,  six  months. 
There  are  some  ugly  suspicious  circumstances  all  the 
way  through !  The  consequence  will  be  a  far  greater 
expense.  Had  efforts  been  made  quietly  between 
March  and  August  to  span  with  proper  transport 
between  Wady  Haifa  and  Hannek,^^  much  of  the 
present  difficulties  to  an  advance  would  have  been 
got  over,  and  security  would  have  been  felt  every- 
where that  efforts  were  really  being  made.  There  is 
a  humility  in  Baring's  telegram  asking  my  advice  as 
to  routes  for  access  to  Kartoum.  "  Sir  E.  Baring 
having  gone  to  London,  I  am  charged  by  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government  to  tell  you  to  keep  them  informed 
not  only  as  to  immediate  but  as  to  any  prospective 
danger  at  Kartoum,  that  you  should  advise  them  in 
order  to  be  prepared  for  any  such  danger  as  to  force 
necessary  to  secure  your  retreat,  its  amount,  charac- 
ter, route  for  access  to  Kartoum,  and  time  for  its  de- 
parture. Her  Majesty's  Government  does  not  enter- 
tain your  proposal  to  supply  you  with  Turkish  or 
other  forces  for  the  purpose  of  undertaking  military 
expeditions,  such  being  beyond  scope  of  your  com- 

12  Upper  part  of  Nubian  Desert.  —  Ed. 


96  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

mission,  and  at  variance  with  the  policy  which  was 
the  purport  of  your  mission  to  the  Soudan.  If  with 
this  knowledge  you  continue  at  Kartoum,  you  should 
state  cause  and  intention  with  which  you  so  con- 
tinue." ^^  If  the  telegrams  I  sent  down  in  March  to 
Baring  are  referred  to,  it  will  be  seen  I  had  already  ^^ 
informed  him  of  all  he  could  possibly  want  to  know, 
and  I  specially  said  that  the  expedition  by  the  route 
of  Wady  Haifa  would  be  (as  it  was  at  that  epoch) 
a  mere  picnic  party. 

Man  proposes  —  God  disposes.  Any  one  who  two- 
and-a-half  years  ago  had  said  that  the  Gladstone 
ministry  would  not  only  go  to  Egyj^t,  and,  not  con- 
tent with  one  expedition  to  the  Soudan  (Graham's), 
would  go  in  for  two  exjyeditions,  woidd  have  been 
scouted  as  a  madman ;   and  it  certainly  is  curious 

that  Mr.  Gladstone,  in  " Review '' '^^  oi  1878, 

combating  Mr.  Dicey's  ideas  for  the  annexation  of 
Egypt,  should  have  stated  that  this  annexation  was 
impossible  on  account  of  the  Soudan! 

18  From  British  agent  and  Nubar  Pasha  to  General  Gordon,  sent  5th 
May  from  Suakin  :  reached  29th  of  July.  —  Ed. 

1*  Telegram  from  General  Gordon  to  Sir  E.  Baring  dated  Feb.  27, 
1884,  says  :  "  You  have  to  say  whether  the  partial  evacuation  of  the 
Soudan  fulfils  your  objects,  —  if  it  does  not,  then  you  must  act  by  Indian 
Moslem  troops  from  Wady  Haifa ;  and  do  so  at  once  by  sending  detach- 
ments of  troops  to  Wady  Yi.&\ia.." —  Egypt,  No.  12  (188-1),  Enclosure  1, 
in  No.  229.  And  again,  on  Feb.  29,  "  Should  you  wish  to  intervene, 
send  200  British  troops  to  Wady  Haifa  and  adjutants  to  inspect  Dongola, 
and  then  open  up  Suakin-Berber  road  by  Indian  Moslem  troops.  This 
will  cause  an  immediate  collapse  of  the  revolt.  Whether  you  think  it 
worth  while  to  do  this  or  not  you  are,  of  course,  the  best  judge.  I  can 
only  tell  you  the  modus  operandi  of  an  expeditious  intervention.  If  you 
decide  against  this  you  may  probably  have  to  decide  between  Zubair 
and  the  Mahdi.  Zubair  with  £100,000."  —  JEJ^-.v/Ji,  No.  12  (1884),  En- 
closure 5,  No.  229.  -^  Ed. 

15  Nineteenth  Century,  August,  1877-  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  97 

There  is  one  thing,  which,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
world,  would  expunge  all  disagreeables  from  the 
whole  question,  i.  e.  if  the  abolition  of  slavery  were 
proclaimed.  It  would  be  a  difficult  job,  but  w^uld 
be  possible  if  we  took  our  time,  and  at  Lord  Mayor's 
dinners,  &c.,  it  would  be  a  platform  no  one  could 
come  up  to. 

4  P.  M.  Steamers  from  Sennaar  in  sight.  Now 
we  shall  be  all  together  again,  thank  God ! 

The  Arabs  off  the  south  front  are  all  agog  at  sight 
of  the  steamers  coming  down.  Those  on  the  Blue 
Nile  are  firing  on  the  steamers.  I  sent  up  Mansow- 
rah  to  help  them.  The  Arabs  are  in  the  houses. 
Expenditure  of  ammunition  is  enormous,  I  should 
think.  The  three  steamers  have  passed  the  place 
where  the  Arabs  are.  They  came  down  one  by  one, 
which  was  not  wise. 

From  the  top  of  the  Serail  one  commands  view  all 
round  for  miles. 

It  will  be  a  satisfaction  to  Her  Majesty's  Navy  to 
know  that  it  is  our  navy  which  has,  humanly  speak- 
ing, saved  us.  It  reaUy  is  a  splendid  fleet  and  naval 
arsenal.  The  steamers  have  come  in ;  the  Arabs 
were  numerous  and  had  five  guns ;  seven  of  their 
shells  struck  the  steamers  (Arabs  had  also  two  rocket 
tubes).  The  steamers  brought  down  2000  ardebs, 
and  report  Sennaar  well  off,  and  no  Arabs  in  arms 
in  all  their  district.  Seyd  Osman  Mahomet  is  said 
to  have  occupied  Katarif  with  his  men.  A  sheikh 
has  promised  to  capture  the  steamer  J/a/iome^ -4 Zi, 
which  is  up  the  River  Dinder,  and  to  hand  her  over 
to  the  Sennaar  Governor.     Wad  Medinet  did  not 

7 


98  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

fire  on  the  steamers,  but  brandished  spears,  &c. ;  our 
loss  in  passing  the  gauntlet  was  three  killed  and 
eight  wounded. 

The  Arabs  have  no  conscience ;  they  make  my 
captured  soldiers  serve  the  guns,  and  otherwise  act 
against  us,  under  pain  of  death ! 

I  declare  my  people  do,  in  a  feeble  way,  what  is 
wanted,  and  do  not  deserve  the  character  of  cowards ; 
they  bear  defeat  far  better  than  other  peoples,  and 
they  are  good-tempered  over  it.  We  English  are 
the  cream,  all  acknowledge  that,  but  we  will  not 
exist  on  two  dates  a  day,  as  these  men  do,  without 
a  murmur. 

The  steamer  Bordeen  was  struck  by  two  shots, 
one  near  water-line.  The  Ismailia  steamer  received 
three,  the  Talataween  steamer  received  two  shots. 
Happily  all  got  down  safe.  The  Arabs  fired  from 
guns  and  rifles  with  fury  —  we  could  see  that  from 
the  roof.  All  the  steamers  have  got  small-pox 
from  bullet-marks !  Our  chief  of  the  arsenal,  Hus- 
sein Bey,  had  been  sharp  enough  to  have  bits  of  old 
tents  ready  to  stop  shot-holes.  Had  we  not  had 
these  we  might  have  lost  the  Bordeen  steamer. 

The  Arabs  had  three  forts  (breastworks)  along 
the  river-bank,  rather  above  Giraffe.  I  mentioned 
that  we  lost  three  killed  and  eight  wounded ;  now 
marh  this,  on  their  way  down  the  steamers  met  three 
escaped  soldiers  from  the  Arabs ;  they  took  them  on 
board,  and,  odd  to  say,  of  those  killed  and  woimded, 
were  these  three  men,  two  having  been  killed,  and 
the  other  badly  wounded!  This  is  remarkable. 
If  we  could  believe  it,  ive  are  as  safe  in  the  fiercest 
battle  as  in  a  drawing-room  in  London. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  99 

September  27.  —  I  have  arranged  to  send  down 
three  steamers  to  Shendy  to  co-operate  with  Dongola 
forces,  and  to  raise  the  Shaggyeh  tribes.  I  have 
sent  out  a  man  to  warn  Dongola  of  this  fact.  He 
carries  no  letters,  only  a  small  slip,  stating  he  is  a 
"  true  man." 

It  is  of  no  use  sending  up  to  Sennaar  again  for 
dhoora,  for  we  have  no  money  to  pay  for  it,  and  it  is 
a  risk  with  these  Arab  guns.  Steamer  Ismailia  re- 
ceived three  shells ;  steamer  Bordeen  two ;  steamer 
Talataween  two.  Some  made  tremendous  holes, 
and  one  in  the  Bordeen  was  close  to  water-line ;  it  is 
wonderfid  how  they  escaped.  The  poor  escaped  sol- 
diers were  asleep  in  the  hold,  when  a  shell  entered 
and  burst ;  two  were  killed,  one  was  seriously 
wounded. 

Two  men  came  in  from  the  Arabs.  One  said  he 
was  the  Mahdi,  the  other  said  a  courier  had  come 
to  the  Arabs,  saying  the  English  were  at  Berber ; 
they  knew  nothing  of  yesterday's  fight. 

Our  steamers  are  of  about  the  same  consistency 
as  the  Thames  steamboats,  so  you  may  imagine  the 
risk  there  is  of  putting  them  under  artillery  fire. 

The  Towfikia  steamer  went  up  the  White  Nile 
exchanging  musketry  fire  with  the  Arabs. 

My  beautiful  steamers,  which  used  to  be  com- 
paratively sweet,  now  stink  like  badgers.  As  for 
the  swell  Ismailia  she  is  a  cess-pit. 

Several  other  shots  struck  the  upper  works  of  the 
steamers ;  evidently  they  were  under  a  nasty  fire, 
and  as  for  bullet  marks  they  are  spotted  all  over. 
Among  the  three  killed  (two  of  them  escaped  sol- 
diers) one  was  a  little  boy. 


100  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Another  slave  came  in  at  Omclurman,  but  had  no 
news. 

Great  female  squawking  under  the  window  of  the 
serail,  approaching  to  yells.  On  examination  I  find 
the  noise  comes  from  a  black  female  fighting  the 
cavass.  On  enquiry  I  find  my  lady  had  gone  down 
to  buy  dhoora  with  two  dollars  in  her  hand,  and  had 
been  pushed  by  some  ungallant  fellow,  and  the 
dollars  fell  into  the  river.  Though  I  do  not  see 
that  the  responsibility  was  upon  me,  I  gave  her  the 
two  dollars,  and  comforted  her  black  soul.  It  would 
be  a  comfort  if  all  the  troubles  of  life  were  got  rid 
of  so  cheaply. 

Having  undergone  considerable  anxiety  owing  to 
the  Shaggyeh  tribe  in  oui-  lines  dm*ing  the  blockade, 
we  got  rid  of  them  to  Halfeyeh  as  soon  as  we 
could.i^  But  when  they  got  to  Halfeyeh,  and  met 
their  brethren  who  had  been  with  the  Arabs,  and 
who  had  come  over  to  us,  the  former  were  seized 
with  distrust  of  the  latter,  and  so  we  are  obliged 
to  bring  these  latter  into  Kartoum.  I  do  not  think 
it  any  risk,  for  the  Shaggyeh  have  lied  so  very  much 
to  the  Arabs  that  nothing  would  ever  make  peace 
between  them,  so  I  do  not  feel  any  discomfort  about 
them. 

16  A  telegram  from  Mudir  of  Dongola  says  that  on  the  24th  July, 
the  Emir  Abou  Kanga  and  his  army,  who  had  come  from  Kordofan, 
were  slaughtered,  and  that  before  the  messenger  quitted  Kartoum  an- 
other fight  occurred,  in  whicli  the  son  of  Sheikh  Sid  and  his  followers 
were  killed  on  the  30th  August,  and  the  siege  raised.  This  is  con- 
firmed by  a  letter  sent  to  me  by  Cassim-el-Mousse  Bey,  stating  that  he 
and  his  soldiers  were  at  Halfeyeh,  and  that  the  Shaggyeh  tribe  and  peo- 
ple had  come  in  and  tendered  their  submission.  —  Egypt,  No.  35,  1884, 
iV'o.  133.  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL  101 

It  is  not  comfortable  to  see  your  steamers  with  a 
hole  in  them  through  which  you  could  push  your 
head  and  shoulders,  and  that  not  a  foot  above  the 
water-line.  The  Bordcen  had  that,  the  shell  came 
in  on  one  side  and  burst  on  penetrating  the  other 
plate  of  the  other  side. 

To  my  mind,  these  Egyptian  mountain  guns  are 
far  preferable  to  those  steel  guns  of  ours,  with  their 
wretched  small  calibre,  and  I  would  prefer  a  smooth 
bore  howitzer  to  an  Armstrong  for  these  wars. 

I  made  Nutzer  Bey  a  Pasha  for  his  Sennaar  trip, 
and  send  him  down  with  Cassim  el  Mousse  to  Me- 
temma  to  await  advance  of  Her  Majesty's  forces. 
Ibraham  Tongi  and  Mousse  Beys  refused,  or  rather 
declined  to  go  unless  also  made  Pashas,  which  I  did 
not  see,  so  these  worthies  stay  here. 

B.  to  A.  —  "  Well  you  know  I  had  to  send  on  the  tele- 
gram, and  I  added  I  hoped  Stewart  was  well.  That  fel- 
low G.  takes  exception  to  this,  and  says  va  sans  dire,  that 
I  could  not  have  wished  that  Stewart  was  ill.  Most  un- 
just. Had  I  added  anything  to  this  telegram,  1  might 
have  got  into  a  row,  which  woidd  never  do,  but  what 
was  the  use  of  pampering  to  inordinate  curiosity  ?  " 

A.  to  B.  —  "  Well  he  pitched  into  me  for  asking  Stew- 
art to  tell  me  if  I  could  do  anything  for  him  (the  com- 
munications being  so  easy),  and  for  teUing  him  the  names 
of  the  Generals  (to  my  mind  a  most  important  matter, 
for  it  would  strike  terror  among  the  Arabs),  he  says  he 
does  not  care  who  the  Generals  are  (wliich  is  sheer  heresy 
and  perfectly  sickening).  I  shall  write  nothing  more  to 
hivi  except  the  purest  official  documents.  It  is  very  clear 
his  liver  is  out  of  order,  to  go  and  attack  officers  of  Ixis  own 
corps  like  that.     It  is  atrocious  !  " 


102  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Septemher  28.  — Two  women  and  a  man  came  in 
to-day ;  they  say  the  Mahdi  is  not  at  Schatt,  but  at 
liahad.  Hussan  Effendi  and  another  directed  the 
guns  against  the  steamers.  The  women  say  the 
Arabs  had  three  guns,  not  five.  The  Arabs  did  not 
lose  many  from  their  people's  accounts.  Among  the 
three  guns  there  was  a  Krupp,  they  say. 

Say  for  a  moment  that  the  object  of  Her  Majes- 
ty's Government  is  simply  to  enable  me  to  retreat, 
and  is  irrespective  of  the  retreat  of  the  garrisons  — 
then  all  the  loss  of  life  in  this  neighbourhood  on 
both  sides  was  thrown  away,  inasmuch  as  if  I  had 
not  come  there  would  have  been  a  speedier  collapse, 
without  the  loss  of  life  (at  least  such  is  jjrobable). 
The  Government  may  say  that  they  had  reasonable 
hopes  that  I  would  succeed ;  I  will  neither  say  I 
gave  them  such  assurance  or  that  I  did  not  give  it. 
I  think  I  was  neutral  in  giving  or  in  not  giving  such 
assurance. 

When  the  steamers  get  to  Shendy,  they  will  be 
only  150  miles  from  Ambukol,  v/hich  is  a  little 
higher  up  the  Nile  than  Debbeh  (35  miles).  Three 
more  slaves  came  in  from  the  north ;  they  had  run 
away  from  their  master,  and  will  enter  the  army.  I 
expect  we  shall  have  lots  of  this  sort  of  thing. 

Arabs  show  no  disposition  to  close  our  road  to 
Shendy  as  yet,  and  I  believe  the  country  up  to  that 
place  is  with  Kartoum  (I  cannot  say  the  Govern- 
ment., for  I  do  not  know  what  the  Government  is). 

One  of  the  greatest  sinners  in  the  way  of  getting 
Egypt  into  financial  difficulties  (whence  all  this 
trouble)  is  .  .  .  who  in  the  Crimea  used  to  sell 
cheeses  and  other  things  at  exorbitant  prices. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  103 

Sir  Samuel  Baker  will  be  disgusted  to  know  that 
the  crack  vessel  he  got  from  Samuda,  the  Ismailia, 
the  biggest  of  his  lot,  is  the  worst  of  the  larger 
fighting  steamers.  She  is  a  good  yacht,  but  nothing 
more.  All  these  steamers  we  owe  to  Sir  Samuel 
Baker. 

A  Frenchman,  Monsieur  de  Bizemont,  brought  up 
the  steamers  from  Cairo,  through  all  the  Cataracts. 
Monsieur  le  Blanc  was  with  him.  Mr.  Higgin- 
botham,  C.  E.,  took  the  steamers  in  sections  across 
the  Korosko  desert. 

September  29.  —  To-morrow  is  Bairam.  I  have 
made  Ferratch  Pasha  take  over  the  festivities.  The 
Talataween^  Mansowrdh.,  and  Saphia  (Z>.  F!)  leave 
for  Shendy  to-morrow  night  with  100  men  on  board 
of  each.  Cassim  el  Mousse  goes  with  them.  I  send 
a  slip  to  Lord  Wolseley,  to  be  forwarded  with  a  spy. 
The  two  journals  of  events  from  10th  to  30th  Sep- 
tember, and  map  of  Berber,  will  go  with  steamers, 
in  hopes  of  their  being  able  to  find  a  more  secure 
road  of  sending  them  to  Debbeh  or  elsewhere. 

I  found  we  had  700  bags  of  Indian  rice  in  store. 
I  have  issued  it  on  account  of  pay  to  the  troops,  at 
two  okes^"  per  dollar.  They  will  sell  it  at  three 
okes  per  dollar.  It  wipes  off  my  debt  to  them,  and 
they  will  gain. 

An  escaped  soldier  came  in,  and  says  Mahdi  has 
had  three  messengers  from  Metemma,  saying  British 
troops  were  coming  up  in  shoals,  and  so  he  had  a 
dream,  in  which  he  was  ordered  back  to  Kordofan. 

1''  An  okc  equals  3^  lbs.  troy.  —  Ed. 


104  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

I  hope  the  officers  and  men  of  Her  Majesty's 
forces  will  be  considerate  to  the  Egyptian  soldiers 
and  sailors  ;  tJiey  do  not  understand  English.,  but  as 
they  have  done  some  good  service,  I  hope  they  will 
be  kindly  treated.  They  are  a  trying  lot,  as  I  well 
know,  but  if  it  were  not  for  them,  our  soldiers  would 
have  to  tramp  many  a  weary  sandy  mile.  It  is  one 
of  my  joys  that  I  never  have  to  see  Great  Britain 
again.  I  hope  to  get  out  of  this  affair,  and  either 
go  to  the  Congo,  vid  Equatorial  Province,  or  by 
Brussels.  At  any  rate  I  shall  never  have  to  undergo 
the  worries  I  underwent  during  the  week  I  was  in 
England  this  year.  I  say  this  in  order  that  those 
who  may  have  to  do  with  me  may  know  how  very 
determined  a  man's  will  must  be  who  does  not  wish 
(and  indeed  loill  not  ever^  go  back  to  England 
again,  and  to  whom  continuance  in  Her  Majesty's 
Service,  except  for  the  honour  of  it,  is  a  matter  of 
indifference. 

I  am  now  going  to  be  egotistic,  but  it  will  save  a 
mint  of  trouble,  and  I  may  be  pardoned,  considering 
the  circumstances.  By  being  so  I  may  save  myself 
what  I  should  much  regret,  a  quarrel. 

My  idea  is  to  induce  Her  Majesty's  Government 
to  undertake  the  extrication  of  all  people  or  garri- 
sons, now  hemmed  in  or  captive,  and  that  if  tliis  is 
not  their  programme,  then  to  resign  my  commission 
and  do  what  I  can  to  attain  it  (the  object).  As  long 
as  a  man  remains  in  Her  Majesty's  Service  he  is 
bound  to  obey  the  orders  of  his  superiors,  but  if  he 
resigns  he  cannot  be  held  as  insubordinate  if  he  dis- 
obeys.    Of  course  it  may  turn  on  the  question  of 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  105 

whether  once  having  entered  the  service  of  Her 
Majesty's  Army,' one  is  free  to  leave  it  at  one's  will. 
But  we  officers  are  not  like  the  private  soldiers  en- 
gaged for  a  term  of  years,  and  perhaps  one  may 
risk  dismissal  if  the  cause  is  worthy  of  it  —  which, 
I  think,  the  question  of  abandoning  the  garrisons  is. 

I  say  this,  because  I  should  be  sorry  for  Lord 
Wolseley  to  advance  from  Dongola  without  fully 
knowing  my  views.  If  Her  Majesty's  Government 
are  going  to  abandon  the  garrisons,  then  do  not  ad- 
vance. I  say  nothing  of  evacuating  the  country ; 
I  merely  maintain  that  if  we  do  so,  every  one  in  the 
Soudan,  captive  or  hemmed  in,  ought  to  have  the 
option  and  power  of  retreat.  Having  given  them 
that  option  and  power,  I  have  nothing  more  to  say, 
and  I  would  not  care  whether  the  country  is  evacu- 
ated or  not. 

It  is  a  miserable  country,  but  it  is  joined  to  Egypt, 
and  to  my  idea  it  would  be  difficult  to  divorce  the 
two. 

I  will  end  these  egotistical  remarks  by  saying  that 
no  persuasion  will  induce  me  to  change  my  views ; 
and  that  as  to  force,  it  is  out  of  the  question,  for  I 
have  the  people  with  me  —  at  any  rate  of  the  towns 
which  hold  out.  Therefore,  if  Her  Majesty's  forces 
are  not  prepared  to  relieve  the  whole  of  the  garri- 
sons, the  General  should  consider  whether  it  is 
worth  coming  up  —  in  his  place,  if  not  so  prepared}^ 

18  The  position  of  the  garrisons  in  Darfour,  the  Bahr-el-Gazelle,  and 
Equatorial  provinces  renders  it  impossible  that  you  should  take  any 
action  which  would  facilitate  their  retreat  without  extending  your  opera- 
tions far  beyond  the  sphere  which  Her  Majesty's  Government  is  pre- 
pared to  sanction. 


106  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

I  would  not  do  so.  I  do  not  dictate,  but  I  say  what 
every  gentleman  ^^  in  Her  Majesty's  Army  would 
agree  to  —  that  it  would  be  mean  (^coute  que  coute^ 
to  leave  men  who  (though  they  may  not  come  up  to 
our  ideas  as  heroes)  have  stuck  to  me,  though  a 
Christian  dog  in  their  eyes,  through  great  difficul- 

As  regards  the  Sennaar  garrison,  Her  Majest3''s  Gov^ernment  is  not 
prepared  to  sanction  the  dispatch  of  an  expedition  of  British  troops  up 
the  Blue  Nile  in  order  to  insure  its  retreat. 

From  the  last  telegrams  received  from  General  Gordon,  there  is  reason 
to  hope  that  he  has  already  taken  steps  to  withdraw  the  Egyptian  por- 
tion of  the  Sennaar  garrison. 

You  will  use  your  best  endeavours  to  insure  the  safe  retreat  of  the 
Egyptian  troops  which  constitute  the  Kartoum  garrison,  and  of  such  of 
the  civil  employes  of  Kartoum,  together  with  their  families,  as  may  wish 
to  return  to  Egypt. 

As  regards  the  future  government  of  the  Soudan,  and  especially  of 
Kartoum,  Her  Majesty's  Government  would  be  glad  to  see  a  Govern- 
ment at  Kartoum  which,  so  far  as  all  matters  connected  with  the  inter- 
nal administration  of  the  countrj'^  are  concerned,  would  be  wholly  inde- 
pendent of  Eg3'pt.  — Lord  Wolseley's  Instructions,  Egypt,  No.  35,  1884, 
No.  157.— Ed. 

19  "  I  am  strongly  against  an}'  permanent  retention  of  the  Soudan, 
but  I  think  we  ought  to  leave  it  with  decency,  and  give  the  respectable 
people  a  man  to  lead  them,  around  whom  they  can  rally,  and  we  ought 
to  support  that  man  by  money  and  by  opening  road  to  Berber.  Pray 
do  not  consider  me  in  any  way  to  advocate  retention  of  Soudan  ;  I  am 
quite  averse  to  it,  but  j'ou  must  see  that  you  could  not  recall  me  nor 
could  I  possibly  obey  imtil  the  Cairo  employes  get  out  from  all  the 
places.  I  have  named  men  to  different  places,  thus  involving  them  with 
Mahdi ;  how  could  I  look  the  world  in  the  face  if  I  abandoned  them  and 
fled?  As  a  gentleman,  could  you  advise  this  course?  It  may  have  been 
a  mistake  to  send  me  up,  but  having  been  done  I  have  no  option  but  to 
see  evacuation  through,  for  even  if  I  was  mean  enough  to  escape  I  have 
no  power  to  do  so.  You  can  easily  understand  this;  would  you  do  so  ? 
If  you  were  the  people  of  Kartoum,  you  would,  like  they  would,  make 
terms  with  Mahdi  by  making  me  backsheesh  Mahdi."  —  Gen.  Gordon 
to  Sir  E.  Baring,  Kartoum,  March  3,  1884;  Egypt,  No.  12,  1884;  No. 
231.  This  telegram,  forwarded  by  Sir  E.  Baring  to  Lord  Granville, 
was  received  by  H.  M.  Ministers  on  March  11,  1884.  On  April  3  Mr. 
Gladstone  stated  in  the  House  of  Commons  that  "General  Gordon  was 
under  no  orders  and  under  no  restraint  to  stav  at  Kartoum." — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  107 

ties,  and  thus  force  tliem  to  surrender  to  those  who 
have  not  conquered  them,  and  to  do  that  at  the  bid- 
ding of  a  foreign  Power,  to  save  one's  own  skin. 
Why  the  black  sluts  would  stone  me  if  they  thought 
I  meditated  such  action.  Stewart  knows  all  this 
and  used  to  groan  over  perversity. 

Sejitemher  30.  —  The  Arabs  fired  seven  shells  last 
night  at  9  p.  m.  which  fell  inside  the  lines,  but  did 
no  harm.  To-day  being  Bairam,  they  fired  four 
rounds  in  their  camp  —  a  salute  I  suppose. 

The  spy  who  came  in  yesterday  says  the  report  is 
rife  that  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman's  men  have  entered 
Katarif. 

The  three  steamers  will  leave  here  to-day  for 
Shendy  at  4  p.  m. 

I  shoved  off  the  Bairam  reception  upon  Ferratch 
Pasha,  who  held  it  upon  the  lines.  I  am  not  up  to 
these  affairs,  and  I  think  he  likes  them. 

As  soon  as  ever  I  hear  of  the  arrival  of  troops  at 
Berber,  down  will  go  the  Greeks,  Bashi  Bazouks, 
and  fellaheen  soldiers,  with  a  month's  provisions. 
The  people  of  Berber  then  can  send  them  on,  as  best 
they  can  —  they  will  be  off  my  hands.  I  have  every- 
thing ready  to  send  them.  We  have  no  telegraph 
wire  left  up  here  to  repair  the  lines,  so  Floyer  had 
better  see  to  it ;  all  ours  has  been  used  in  the  wire 
entanglements. 

The  troops  on  board  the  steamers  are  fellaheen 
soldiers.  If  Berber  is  captured,  better  take  them 
out  and  keep  them  (they  are  part  of  their  way  to 
their   homes),  and   replace   them   with   such  black 


108  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

troops  as  may  be  released  at  Berber  ;  but  see  after 
these  white  soldiers'  pay,  and  rations,  and  do  not 
neglect  them. 

We  do  not  want  to  be  told  the  steamers  are  dirty, 
for  we  know  it. 

If  coming  up,  see  beforehand  that  Arabs  have  not 
a  gun  or  guns  at  the  Shoboloha  Pass,  and  if  wood 
has  to  be  looted,  loot  those  people  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Nile,  not  those  on  the  right. 

I  do  not  care  much  to  have  Wood's  men  here  ; 
there  will  be  sure  to  be  rows  between  them  and  our 
blacks,  and  they  are  not  favourites  in  the  Soudan. 
Still  less  do  I  want  to  see  Bashi  Bazouks,  or  tribes 
who  have  been  taken  into  our  pay,  for  they  will  rob 
right  and  left. 

I  have  prepared  the  beads,  copper  rods,  uniforms, 
&c.,  to  send  up  to  the  Equator  as  soon  as  it  is  pos- 
sible. Report  says  the  garrison  of  the  Equator  is  at 
Fashoda. 

The  sister  steamer  to  Abbas  will  be  finished  in 
twelve  days.  We  made,  or  rather  Hassan  Bey  made, 
a  fii"st-rate  crank. 

Remember,  we  have  very  few  dollars  here,  and 
gold  is  depreciated  in  value.  We  have  only  £1000 
in  the  treasury. 

It  woidd  be  as  well  to  tell  the  Greek  creditors, 
who  may  be  coming  up,  that  there  is  not  the  least 
probability  that  the  Government,  whatever  it  may 
be,  will  look  at  any  of  their  claims  until  at  least  a 
year  has  expired. 

We  have  painted  the  steamers  up  ;  they  are  wliited 
sepulchres. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  109 

I  hope  Ibrahim  Tongi  and  Moussa  Beys,  who  will 
come  down  with  the  first  lot,  who  leave  this  (after 
the  hoped-for  capture  of  Berber),  will  be  sent  on  to 
Cairo  at  once,  and  not  given  appointments,  on  any 
consideration,  at  Berber  or  elsewhere. 

I  like  trying  to  find  solutions  for  this  Soudan 
problem.  This  is  the  last.  Let  Towiik  Pasha  send 
up  Abdel  Kader  Pasha,  as  Governor  -  General,  to 
replace  me  at  once.  As  soon  as  the  firman  comes, 
I  am  out  of  calculation,  and  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment can  do  what  they  like,  for  Abdel  Kader  will 
follow  their  dictum.  Such  an  act  would  not  in  the 
least  vex  me.  Lord  Wolseley  can  then  do  what  he 
thinks  fit  with  respect  to  the  Soudan,  the  abandon- 
2nent,  and  all  the  et  ceteras,  and  I  am  free  of  all  re- 
sponsibility to  the  people  and  to  the  troops,  or  with 
respect  to  the  money  affairs,  dhoora,  &c.,  &c.  But 
in  this  case,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind,  I  am  not  the 
"  rescued  lamb,"  simply  having  been  sent  up  to  per- 
form a  certain  mission,  i,  e.  extrication  of  garrisons. 
I  failed,  and  was  replaced  by  Abdel  Kader  and  a 
British  Force.  It  is  for  them  to  explain  any  change 
in  their  programme. 

The  same  remarks,  appended  to  the  end  of  Vol- 
ume I.,  are  added  to  this  in  re  Mr.  Power  and  For- 
eign Office,  &c.  C.  G.  Gordon. 

30th  September,  2  p.  M.,  Kartoum. 

I  really  think  that  as  Her  Majesty's  Government 
and  I  are  in  such  opposite  camps  (at  least  I  think 
so)  —  in  re  the  extrication  of  the  garrisons  —  it 
would  save  a  mint  of  trouble  if  Towfik  Pasha  were 


110  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

to  replace  me  by  Abdel  Kader  Pasha,  with  whom 
Her  Majesty's  Government  could  do  as  they  liked. 
At  any  rate,  a  scandal  would  be  avoided  ;  and  I 
think  Abdel  Kader  would  be  well  received  by  all. 
Of  course  I  should  have  the  privilege  of  laughing 
in  my  sleeve  if,  after  all,  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment found  they  could  not  get  out  without  the  es- 
tablishment of  Turks  or  Zubair,  or  the  retentio7i  of 
the  Soudan  under  Egypt.  I,  therefore,  as  an  adieu, 
recommend  this  course,  for  it  opens  a  speedy  exit  for 
me  without  rows,  and  clears  me  of  all  responsibility 
whatever.  C.  G.  Gordon. 


BOOK  III. 


On  outside  wrapper  (a  handkerchief) : 
No  secrets  as  far  as  I  am  concerned. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 

Lt.-Colonel  Stewart,  C.  M.  G., 
Chief  of  the  Staff,  or  Lord  Wolseley,  G.  C.  B. 
Soudan  Expeditionary  Force. 


Journal  of  Events  —  Kartoum,  Vol.  III. 
From  1st  Oct.  to  12th  Oct.,  1884. 


On  cover  at  back  : 
General  Gordon's  Journal 
From  1st  Oct.  to  12th  Oct.,  1884. 

EVENTS   IN  KARTOUM. 
It  will  require  pruning  down,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 

1/10/84. 
On  inside  sheet  : 

EVENTS   AT  KARTOUM. 
General  Gordon's  Journal,  Vol.  III. 
From  Oct.  1st  to  1884. 

If  published,  must  be  pruned  down. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 


JOURNAL. 


October  1.  —  Steamers  left  yesterday  at  3  p.  m. 
for  (Berber,  D.  V.,  via)  Sliendy.  Yesterday  tlie 
steamer  Toicfikia  attacked  the  Arabs  on  the  White 
Nile,  and  killed  a  horse  and  three  men.  Steamer 
Bordeen  drove  back  the  horsemen  on  the  Blue  Nile. 
The  Arabs  attacked  a  village  lower  down  the  White 
Nile  than  Halfeyeh,  and  were  driven  back  by  the 
villagers  with  loss :  you  may  believe  as  much  as  you 
like  of  this,  hut  our  vessels  toent  out,  that  is  the 
main  thing. 

The  more  I  think  of  appointing  Abdel  Kader  ^ 
Pasha  in  my  place,  the  more  strongly  does  the  idea 
recommend  itself,  for  it  does  away  with  all  diffi- 
culties, and  leaves  Her  Majesty's  Government  per- 

1  Abdel  Kader  was  then  Minister  of  War.  In  March  1882,  he  was 
appointed  to  succeed  Raouf  Pasha  as  Governor-General  of  the  Sou- 
dan, and  on  the  11th  of  May  he  reached  Kartoum  and  assumed  his 
duties.  He  carried  on  an  active  campaign  against  the  Mahdi  until 
March  26th,  1883,  when  Al-ed-Din  Pasha  was  publicly  proclaimed  at 
Kartoum,  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan,  in  his  place.  In  January 
1881,  Abdel  Kader  was  selected  by  the  Egyptian  Government  as  their 
envo}'  to  Kartoum.  Pie  at  first  accepted  the  position  and  then  declined 
it.  Upon  this  the  Egyptian  Government  requested  Her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment to  select  a  well-qualified  British  officer  to  go  to  Kartoum  instead 
of  Abdel  Kader.  General  Gordon  was  the  officer  selected.  Thus,  in 
suggesting  Abdel  Kader  as  his  successor,  General  Gordon  wfis  suggest- 
ing the  very  man  whom  he  had  succeeded.  — Ed. 


114  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

fectly  free  to  abandon  or  not  as  it  thinks  fit.  Abdel 
Kader  Pasha  would  be  under  no  such  obligations  as 
I  am  to  the  soldiers,  &c.,  of  these  beleaguered 
places,  and  Her  Majesty's  Government  could  put  it 
all  on  him  if  anything  was  said.  To  me  it  has  the 
selfish  advantage  of  being  free  at  once  of  a  very  dis- 
agreeable and  troublesome  position,  both  personally 
and  publicly. 

As  for  feeling  at  all  vexed  at  this  arrangement, 
viz.  my  being  put  out,  I  should  not,  for  the  only 
thing  which  actuates  me  is  this :  /  think  it  mean  to 
have  the  garrisons  ;  but  if  my  superiors  decide  to 
do  so,  and  will  take  the  responsibility,  then  what 
am  I  ?  to  dispute  their  decision,  the  more  especially 
as  I  cannot  do  so  without  funds,  which  I  have  not. 
1  do  not  dispute  but  that  the  withdrawal  of  the  gar- 
risons is  not  a  difficult  task,  but  not  impossible ; 
and  if  not  impossible,  our  honour  binds  us  to  fulfil 
it,  and  to  my  mind  it  is  shabby  not  to  do  it :  but 
Governments  do  shabby  things,  vide  the  Boer  busi- 
ness, and  if  they  are  going  to  do  it  here,  the  way  I 
have  pointed  out  is  the  best.  There  is  not  the  least 
reason  for  me  to  participate  in  its  execution ;  it 
would  not  be  fair  to  try  and  force  me,  and  another 
thing  is  that  I  would  not  be  forced.  I  believe  Her 
Majesty's  Government  will  adopt  this  idea,  and  if 
they  do,  I  see  a  vista  of  an  escape  with  honour  and 
without  y)'acas  (which  is  very  pleasing),  from  a  po- 
sition which  is  not  likely  to  be  a  feather-bed,  and 
which  might  require  me  to  go  on  struggling  for  over 
a  year,  not  only  against  the  Arabs,  but  against  the 
antipathies  and  ill-disguised  hostility  of  Her  Maj- 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  115 

esty's  Government,  for  certainly  they  would  not  be 
over  friendly  if  forced  into  a  line  of  action  their  soul 
abhors. 

/  thinh  we  are  bound  to  extricate  the  garrisons 
whatever  it  costs ;  they  do  not ;  there  is  no  reason 
for  any  difference  of  opinion  which  cannot  exist  be- 
tween a  Government  and  an  individual ;  they  simply 
place  an  individual  who  thinks  with  them,  and  the 
matter  is  done,  and  this  individual  is  Abdel  Kader 
Pasha.  I  see  no  reason  to  try  and  force  me  to  do 
what  I  do  not  think  right,  and  which  I  can  conse- 
quently do  only  in  a  half-hearted  manner  if  I  even 
undertook  it,  which  I  will  not. 

As  for  the  effect  of  my  replacement  by  Abdel 
Kader  Pasha :  1st,  it  would  produce  no  surprise,  for 
it  is  well  known  I  and  Towfik  are  not  at  all  friends. 
2nd,  it  is  also  known  that  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment wish  to  be  rid  of  all  responsibility  of  the 
Soudan,  in  re  the  garrisons ;  therefore  the  removal 
of  me  would  be  merely  the  carrying  out  of  this 
policy.  3rd,  Abdel  Kader  Pasha  is  the  best  man 
they  have  had  up  here,  and  so,  till  the  matter  was 
broken  to  them,  he  would  be  well  received.  It  is 
not  vaunting  myself  when  I  say  that  the  general 
opinion  here  is  this,  that  Her  Majesty's  Government 
woidd  never  have  sent  an  expedition  up  here  had  it 
not  had  me  and  Stewart  here,  sent  up  hy  them  1  ^ 

2  The  instructions  conveyed  to  Lord  Wolseley  by  Her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment were  to  the  effect  that  the  primary  object  of  the  expedition  ioas 
to  bring  away  General  Gordon  and  Colonel  Steioart  from  Kartoum.  He 
was  moreover  enjoined  not  to  advance  further  southwards  than  was  ab- 
solutely necessary  in  order  to  attain  the  primary  object  of  the  expedition. 
—  Ed. 


116  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

I  think  they  fully  realise,  that  as  far  as  the  garri- 
sons, &c.,  &c.,  were  concerned,  were  it  not  for  us 
they  might  perish  as  quickly  as  they  liked  ;  they 
also  realise  that,  unless  for  the  action  of  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government  at  Cairo,  assistance  would  have 
been  sent  long  ago  from  Cairo,  so  it  must  not  be  ex- 
pected of  the  people  to  be  very  grateful.  They  are 
glad  to  get  out  of  their  mess,  but  consider  they  are 
only  extricated  under  compulsion  of  circumstances, 
and  not  co?i  amore. 

If  time  presses,  then  telegraph  Towfik  to  make 
the  Mudir  of  Dongola  Governor- General  (it  does 
not  signify  who  is  your  dummy,  only  perhaps  he 
may  not  be  so  ductile  as  Abdel  Kader)  in  my  place, 
and  your  work  is  easy,  such  work  as  it  is.  . 

Personally^  I  can  assure  you,  I  shall  be  only  too 
delighted,  for  I  could  be  in  Brussels  in  December, 
and  free,  honourably,  of  the  whole  affair  ;  you  could 
not  possibly  expect  me  to  stay  after  being  replaced. 
Mark  my  words,  if  you  have  made  wp  your  mind^ 
this  is  the  best  solution  and  avoids  all  scandal. 

Abdel  Kader  will  make  out  that  the  Mahdi's  gov- 
ernment is  not  really  so  bad :  that  it  is  impossible, 
&c.,  &c.,  to  be  wandering  all  over  Africa,  and  his 
paper  on  the  state  of  affairs  will  go  down  splendidly 
with  the  public,  and  there  will  be  honours  all  round, 
and  mutual  congratulations.  The  British  public  ac- 
cepted, without  hesitation,  the  trial  of  Arabi  Pasha, 
by  Ismail  Pasha  Ayoub,  and  Reouf  Pasha,  as  being 
a  just  one  !  Why,  had  they  tried  an  angel,  and 
Towfik  had  wished  the  angel  guilty — guilty  that 
angel  loould  have  been,  even  if  Michael  or  Gabriel. 


Ber, 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  117 

Now  I  have  told  you  how  to  whitewash  I  will  end 
this  tirade.  I  will  only  remark  that  Her  Majesty's 
Government  must  not  say  I  was  replaced.^  because  I 
wished  to  keep  the  Soudan,  for  I  do  not  say  so, 
it  is  an  useless  country;  what  I  say  is,  that  it  is 
shabby  to  abandon  the  garrisons,  &c.,  &c. 

I  own  the  proposition  I  make  is  in  some  degree 
a  trap,  for  I  feel  confident  that  there  will  be  no  end 
of  trouble,  even  in  placing  Abdel  Kader  Pasha  in 
my  place  and  trying  to  evacuate ;  but  if  you  accept 
it  you  will  do  so  (after  this  warning)  with  your  eyes 
open. 

Two  women  slaves  came  in  from  the  Sheikh  el 
Obeyed  ;  no  news,  except  that  the  Arabs  with  this 
chief  are  very  badly  off  for  water. 

The  following  is  what  I  would  do,  if  in  supreme 
command,  military  and  political.  Divide  the  forces 
into  three  sections ;  one,  A,  to  stay  at  Dongola,  half 


force,  and  look  after  communications  from  Wady 
Haifa  to  Berber  by  river,  in  those  etapes  or  stages 
already  alluded  to. 

Another,  B,  to  occupy  Berber,  quarter  force. 

Another,  C,  to  be  a  fighting  force  (quarter  force) 
without  artillery,  for  we  have  guns  up  here.  AVith 
C  I  would  come  to  Kartoum,  coax  Arabs  down  to 
Giraffe,  destroy  them ;  then  coax  Arabs  to  El  f oun 
and  destroy  them  ;  then  push  up  to  Wad  el  Medinet 
and  destroy  Arabs  there,  thus  opening  the  road  to 
Sennaar  and  allowing  grain  to  come  down. 


118  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

By  which  time  you  would  see  your  way  as  to  the 
future.  I  would  restore  the  telegraph  as  I  went 
along. 

The  result  of  these  operations  would  be  the  re- 
treat of  the  Mahdi's  Arabs  to  Kordofan,  and  the 
surrender  of  those  in  and  about  Kassala. 

Humanly  speaking,  there  will  be  probably  three 
fights,  costing  each  fight,  eight  killed  and  fifteen 
wounded,  as  far  as  experience  goes ;  not  more,  and 
very  likely,  if  the  first  fight  is  a  good  one  (and  we 
have  a  good  pursuit),  there  will  be  no  more  after 
it ;  all  the  rest  will  be  child's  play.^ 

Arabs  must  have  one  good  defeat,  to  wipe  out 
Hicks'  disasters,  and  my  defeats.  Berber  will  be 
evacuated. 

The  troops  at  fight  No.  1  Giraffe  will  go  up  in 
the  castellated  barges  (which  are  real  fortresses), 
and  be  covered  by  five  steamers,  each  with  two  guns, 
and  two  barges  with  a  Krupp  gun  in  each  (16- 
pounders),  so  there  would  be  no  risk ;  none  of  the 
Arabs'  forts  are  closed  at  gorge. 

Force  need  not  be  more  than  1000  strong,  for  ive 
could  send  3000  for  the  flanks ;  but,  as  it  would 
fight  on  river  banks,  there  would  be  no  fear  for 
flank  attack.  All  could  be  done  in  thirty  days  as 
far  as  fighting  is  concerned.  This  of  course  leaves  the 
question  of  Kordofan  unsettled.  The  Mahdi  might 
come  to  terms,  and  abandon  his  spiritual  power,  but 
I  doubt  it. 

8  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  when  Gordon  wrote  this  he  expected 
the  expedition  to  reach  Kartoum  before  the  middle  of  November  and 
not  towards  the  end  of  January.  The  strength  of  the  rebels  had  ma- 
terially increased  during  December  and  January.  —  Ed. 


120  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

The  fighting  force  C  probably  will  be  under  Bul- 
ler.  Earle  at  JS either  ;  Doi'mer  a.t  Ahou  Hamed ; 
and  Fremantle  at  Dongola  ;  the  Sirdar  at  Wady 
Haifa  ;  Lord  Wolseley  partout  !  Goodenough  in 
command  of  Royal  Artillery  ;  Harrison  (in  recollec- 
tion' of  China)  commanding  Royal  Engineers.  I 
hope  Goodenough  will  not  be  too  proud  to  use  our 
guns ;  he  will  be  horrified  at  the  vents,  which  are 
from  continuous  firing;  we  do  not  re- 
bouch  up  here,  not  having  bouches. 

No  one  could  be  astonished  at  my  re- 
luctance to  make  a  bolt  of  it  without 
the  garrisons,  for  it  virtually  makes  out 
all  our  toils,  for  the  last  seven  months,  as  utterly 
useless ;  we  had,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  better 
have  surrendered  months  ago.  One  feels  such  a 
mean  brute  to  go  egging  on  men  to  fight,  and  then 
to  let  it  end  with  a  skedaddle. 

October  2nd.  —  A  sergeant-major,  with  a  soldier, 
escaped  last  night ;  he  rejjorts  that  the  Mahdi  came 
from  Obeyed  to  Schatt,  with  two  ortas  of  black 
captured  troops,  two  Krupp  guns,  and  seven  moun- 
tain guns ;  but  then  the  Arab  tribes  in  his  rear  rose, 
and  that  he  went  back,  taking  the  guns  with  him, 
sending  one  of  his  Ameers,  Abdullah  Waled  Jubira, 
to  Kalakla  with  100  black  troops.  The  sergeant- 
major  reports  the  Arabs  have  140  Krupp  shells  and 
200  boxes  of  Remington  ammunition;  that  the 
Arabs  did  not  suffer  when  they  fired  on  the  steam- 
ers coming  from  Sennaar ;  that,  with  the  Mahdi,  are 
all  the  Roman  Catholic  Mission  party,  tvJio  have  not 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  121 

changed  their  religion :  one  nun  is  exposed  to  the 
sun  to  force  her  to  do  so.  The  man  says  the  other 
guns  are  all  broken  in  their  carriages,  in  the  Mahdi's 
fights  with  the  Arabs.  The  Mahdi  takes  Slatin  and 
all  the  Europeans  with  him  when  he  moves  ;  he  re- 
ports Waled  a  Goun  has  sent  the  black  troops  he 
had  with  him  to  the  rear,  because  so  many  escaped ; 
the  Arabs  fii'ed  a  salute  of  four  guns  on  arrival  of 
the  Ameer  Abdullah  Waled  Jubira. 

A  slave  coming  in  from  the  left  bank  reports 
Faki  Mustapha  with  few  troops ;  says  the  rumour  of 
the  advance  expeditionary  force  is  rife ;  says  the 
Arab  ferry  is  at  Kalalda  ;  they  pass  only  at  night. 
The  sergeant-major  says  that  he  is  sure  the  tribes 
(on  the  Mahdi's  going  to  Schatt)  all  rose  and  pil- 
laged on  the  road :  hence  the  Mahdi's  return  to- 
wards Obeyed. 

The  man  the  doctor  operated  upon  for  the  large 
stone  is  dead. 

From  what  the  sergeant-major  says,  it  appears  I 
am  not  more  liked  by  the  Mahdi  than  I  am  else- 
where —  a  nuisance  !  and  a  bore  ! 

The  Towfikia  steamer  went  up  the  White  Nile, 
and  fired  upon  the  Arabs  !  The  Bordeen  steamer 
went  up  the  Blue  Nile,  and  fired  upon  the  Arabs  ! 
The  Halfeyeh  people  went  out  and  captured  a 
camel  !  All  these  things  are  hostilities  not  counte- 
nanced by  Her  Majesty's  Government.  This  afflicts 
me,  that  joker  Egerton  ! 

I  have  sent  off  another  spy  to  Debbeh,  saying 
that  three  steamers  wait  their  orders  at  Metemma, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Debbeh  ! 


122  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

The  Shaggyeh  tribes  are  giving  me  bother  again 
with  their  horrid  families  down  river.  They  are 
most  exasperating. 

A  horse  escaped  from  the  Arabs,  formerly  belong- 
ing to  Government.  It  gave  no  information ;  but 
from  its  action,  may  be  sujjposed  7iot  to  helieve  in 
the  3fahcli. 

Simmons  *  and  I  agree  on  one  subject  —  that 
Egypt  is  useless  to  us,  unless  we  have  command  of 
the  seas  ;  and  if  we  have  command  of  seas,  Egypt  is 
ours ;  therefore  it  is  not  worth  bothei'ing  about.  We 
will  never  be  liked  by  its  peoj)les ;  we  do  not  go  the 
right  way  to  be  liked.  To  my  mind,  if  we  looked 
after  the  Cape  and  Mauritius,  &c.,  it  would  be  far 
more  beneficial,  and  less  expensive,  than  wasting  our 
money  on  Egypt  and  the  Soudan  ;  but  because  Egypt 
nsed  to  be  important,  we  think  it  is  always  so. 
Whereas,  the  introduction  of  steam  has  quite  altered 
its  importance,  while  the  creation  of  other  Naval  Pow- 
ers in  the  Mediterranean  renders  that  sea  no  longer 
a  question  of  supremacy  of  France  or  England. 

I  have  mentioned  reports  of  troops  moving  on 
Kassala,  yet  not  one  word  is  said,  either  one  way  or 
another,  by  Kitchener.  Surely  he  must  know  that 
if  this  is  the  case,  I  ought  to  be  told ;  or  if  no  move- 
ment is  being  made  in  that  direction,  I  ought  to  be 
informed. 

Arabi's  clerk,  Ahmet-Eff-Awaan  ^  (Stewart  knows 

^  General  Sir  Lintorn  Simmons,  G.  C.  B. — Ed. 

6  "I  have  ascertained  within  the  last  few  weeks  that  the  principal 
agent  in  the  surrender  of  the  city  was  not  Ferratch  Pasha,  as  originally 
stated,  but  a  certain  civilian  exile  from  Egypt  who  had  acted  at  one 
time  under  Arabi  as  Secretary  of  the  IVIinistry  of  Marine.    I  know  the 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  123 

him  well)  was,  on  Stewart's  departure,  represented 
to  me  as  in  utter  misery,  so  I  gave  him  back  £10 
a  mouth.  To-night  I  heard  my  friend  had  been 
positively  preaching  for  the  Mz^di !  so  I  have  shut 
him  up.  An  attempt  was  made  the  day  before  yes- 
terday morning  to  set  fire  to  one  of  the  houses  near 
the  magazine  at  the  Roman  Catholic  Mission.  It 
was  discovered  ;  it  was  evidently  the  work  of  an  in- 
cendiary. I  have  ordered  all  houses  to  be  pidled 
down  in  the  neighbourhood.  This  is  not  comfort- 
able, for  it  shows  we  have  some  evil-disposed  people 
here.^ 

history  of  this  man  well,  and  can  vouch  for  its  accuracy,  as  I  often 
heard  it  at  Cairo  when  I  was  there.  Four  years  or  so  ago  Awaan  was 
an  honest  and  zealous  employ^  in  the  Cadastral  Survey  under  Sir  Auck- 
land Colvin  —  a  service  which  of  all  others  under  the  Control  was  the 
most  inefficient,  and  is  now  acknowledged  to  have  been  so.  Awaan, 
provoked  at  the  waste  and  mismanagement,  one  day  had  the  temerity  to 
draw  up  a  memorandum  of  what  he  knew  and  to  send  it  to  his  chief. 
The  answer  was  his  dismissal.  He  then  appealed  to  the  native  press  — 
for  there  was  some  liberty  in  those  days  —  and  his  grievance  made  him  a 
hero  ;  and  when  Arabi  came  to  power  he  gave  him  this  place  as  secre- 
tary, which  he  held  at  Alexandria  down  to  the  bombardment.  I  never 
heard  of  his  taking  any  prominent  part  in  the  politics  of  that  eventful 
time,  but  on  Sir  Auckland  Colvin's  landing  he  was  among  the  first 
persons  arrested.  Lord  Charles  Beresford  tried  him  by  one  of  his 
courts-martial  and  found  him  guilty  of  exciting  to  rebellion,  or  some 
such  charge.  He  was  handed  over  to  the  Circassian  tender  mercies, 
and,  after  seventy-four  days  in  irons  in  the  terrible  Borgho  prison,  he 
was  exiled  to  Kartoum.  He  was  clearly  a  political  prisoner  if  ever 
there  was  one ;  and  when  Lord  Duffcrin  promised  us  the  amnesty  at  the 
compromise  of  Arabi's  trial,  I  wrote  to  him  recommending  Awaan's  case 
to  his  special  attention,  and  I  have  his  answer,  with  a  memorandum, 
curiously  enough,  by  the  very  Sir  Charles  Wilson  who  was  afterwards 
to  reap  such  bitter  disappointment  at  his  hands.  But  Lord  Dufferin 
declined  to  interfere,  and  Awaan  was  left  at  Kartoum  to  his  revenge. 
On  January  26  it  was  he  who,  with  the  English  again  at  his  gates,  ne- 
gotiated its  surrender  to  its  Arab  deliverer."  —  Mr.  Wilfred  Blunt  in  a 
Letter  to  the  Times  of  May  4,  1884.  —  Ed. 
6  "One  of  the  most  painful  parts  of  this  business  is  the  constant  and 


124  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

October  3.  —  Small  church  parade  to  -  day  on 
South  Front.  Some  twenty  -  five  horsemen  came 
near  the  lines,  and  four  shots  were  fired  at  them. 

An  inquiry  is  goiftg  on  about  the  fire  near  the 
magazine.  Some  little  suspicion  that  Awaan  is 
mixed  up  with  it,  for  his  house  was  near ;  indeed,  it 
adjoins  the  place  where  the  fire  was.  It  burned 
four  tents.  It  will  go  hard  with  him  if  JLie  is  found 
guilty :  certainly  his  preaching  in  favour  of  the 
Mahdi  is  against  him. 

I  visited  the  place  of  the  fire,  and  also  Awaan's 
house.  My  impression  is  against  Awaan's  being  the 
culprit ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  the  Court  of  Inquiry 
will  find  him  guilty.  Wilfred  Blunt  will  be  crying 
out  about  this  ill  -  used  martyr,  so  will  Arabi  the 
blest.  I  am  paying  for  the  houses  pulled  down. 
There  is  no  doubt  the  fire  was  the  work  of  an  incen- 
diary.    To-day  ends  the  Bairam. 

Stewart  will  not  believe  it  of  Awaan ;  but  it  ap- 
pears that  in  disputing  about  the  Mahdi,  Awaan 
took  off  his  slipper "'  and  struck  his  opponent  —  he 

continual  reports  one  hears  of  the  intended  treachery  of  this  or  that 
influential  man.  I  have,  though  greatly  tried,  kept  iny  faith  in  all  men, 
and  have  resisted  any  of  those  measures  which  never  benefit  and  which 
throw  widespread  alarm  throughout  the  town.  Men  who  belonged  to  the 
beleaguered  Shaggyeh  and  who  had  been  shut  up  with  them  escaped 
here  without  arms,  saying  that  the  Shaggyeh  had  gone  over  to  the 
enemy,  while  others  would  come  from  them  beseeching  for  aid.  I  am 
glad  to  say  that  without  exception  the  people  of  the  town  and  the 
troops  have  behaved  themselves  in  a  most  kind  and  proper  way.  This 
binds  me  not  to  leave  them  until  I  can  do  so  under  Government  which 
would  give  them  some  hope  of  peace."  —  General  Goj'don's  telegram  to 
Sir  E.  Baring,  received  at  Cairo  end  of  31arch,  1884.  Egypt,  No.  12, 
No.  287.— Ed. 

■^  To  strike  with  a  slipper  during  a  dispute  is  with  Moslems  the  great- 
est insult  one  man  can  offer  another.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  125 

was  so  strong  in  his  opinion.  A  more  fawning, 
wretched  fellow  one  never  saw.  I  should  send  him 
to  the  Mahdi,  but  that  he  knows  English,  and  is  a 
born  intriguer. 

I  reason  thus,  respecting  the  slackness  of  the  In- 
telligence Department  not  sending  in  spies.  As 
noted  in  the  journal,  on  an  average  four  or  five 
men  come  in  daily  from  the  Arabs,  therefore  they 
do  not  keep  so  very  strict  a  look-out ;  also  now  there 
are  vast  gaps  in  their  lines  around  the  place,  and  one 
may  say  from  here  to  Shendy  is  oj^en.  It  is  more 
difficult  to  go  out  than  to  come  in,  for  in  going  out 
one  may  stumble  on  some  new  emplacement  of  the 
Arabs,  while  in  coming  in  a  man  can  ascertain  such 
emplacements  beforehand  ;  it  is  evident  also,  that  as 
all  the  information  we  have  had  has  come  from  my 
return  S2nes,  that  no  effort  has  been  made  by  the 
Intelligence  Department.  Had  that  Department 
initiated  any  such  step,  in  any  energy,  it  is  unliliely 
that  all  their  men  would  have  been  stopped  —  my 
spies  get  caught,  though,  so  frequently  passing  the 
lines  of  Arabs. 

The  more  one  thinks  of  it,  the  more  impossible 
does  it  seem  for  her  Majesty's  Government  to  get 
out  of  this  country  without  extricating  the  garrisons 
and  establishing  some  Government  at  Kartoum ; 
once  having,  as  they  have,  come  up  to  Dongola,  they 
cannot  well  go  back  from  Dongola ;  they  must  come 
to  Berber,  and  when  once  at  Berber,  as  there  is  the 
river,  they  must  come  up  here  ;  once  here,  they  must 
go  to  Sennaar  or  arrange  to  open  this  route.  It  is 
of  all  things  the  most  perplexing,  and  one  does  not 


126  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

see  the  end  of  it,  unless  we  give  the  country  to  the 
Turks.  With  the  best  will  and  with  all  favourable 
circumstances,  i.  e.  that  it  is  found  possible  to  aban- 
don, it  will  take  six  to  eight  months,  and  with  a 
terrible  outlay ;  and  one  cannot  think  that  even  then 
it  is  a  satisfactory  termination  if,  after  extricating 
the  garrisons  and  contenting  ourselves  with  that,  we 
let  the  Madhi  come  down  and  boast  of  driving  us 
out. 

If  we  proclaim  the  abolition  of  slave-holding  we 
must  proclaim  it  in  Egyjjt  as  well,  and  then  the 
revenue  falls.  The  Turks  really  seem  the  only  way 
out  of  it,  in  a  speedy  way.  It  wovild  be  cheaper  to 
give  them  a  million  pounds  than  to  keep  our  people 
up  here,  and  there  is  no  discredit  to  our  arms  if  we 
take  Berber  and  open  the  route  to  Sennaar,  and 
then  leave  the  country  to  the  Turks,  letting  them 
deal  with  the  Mahdi  as  they  like.  I  think  even  the 
gift  of  two  millions  to  the  Turks  would  be  a  cheap 
solution  of  it,  and  is  also  a  quick  and  an  honourable 
one. 

As  for  Her  Majesty's  Government  keeping  the 
Soudan  itself,  it  is  out  of  the  question,  for  you  could 
not  get  men  to  serve  here  except  under  great  sala- 
ries and  supported  with  large  forces ;  and  as  for  giv- 
ing it  back  to  Egj^ot,  in  a  couple  of  years  we  would 
have  another  Mahdi ;  therefore,  our  choice  lies  be- 
tween Zubair  and  the  Turks.  Now,  the  time  has 
gone  by  when  Zubair,  almost  alone,  would  suf&ce ; 
he  would  now  need  aid  in  men,  while  the  Turks 
would  need  no  aid  from  us  in  men.  Therefore,  give 
the  country  to  the  Turks,  when  once  you  have  come 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  127 

to  Kartoum,  with  one  or  two  millions  sterling  (which 
YOU  will  spend  in  three  months'  occupation  up 
here  if  you  delay),  make  arrangements  at  once  with 
the  Porto  for  its  Soudan  cession,  let  6000  Turks 
land  at  Suakin  and  march  up  to  Berber,  thence  to 
Kartoum ;  you  can  then  retire  at  once  before  the 
hot  weather  comes  on.^  Let  3000  Turks  land  at 
Massowah  and  go  to  Kassala ;  that  saves  you  that 
journey.  You  would  be  even  saved  waiting  till  the 
troops  came  from  the  Equator  and  Bahr  Gazelle. 

28th  October.  —  Berber  occupied. 

5th  Novemher.  — 1000  troops  at  Kartoum.  6000 
Turks  land  at  Suakin  and  march  to  Berber.  4000 
Turks  land  at  Massowah  and  march  to  Kassala. 

%th  November.  —  Defeat  of  Arabs  on  south  lines 
—  unless  they  have  bolted. 

\2th  November.  —  Defeat  Arabs  near  El  foun, 
unless  they  have  submitted. 

Ibth  November.  —  Despatch  of  force  to  Sennaar 
to  clear  country  round  Medinet. 

1st  to  10th  December.  —  Arrival  of  Turks  at  Ber- 
ber and  Kartoum,  and  at  Kassala. 

8  Oa  Feb.  11th,  1884,  General  Gordon  telegraphed  from  Berber  to 
Sir  Evelyn  Baring:  "I  would  not,  if  I  were  supreme,  try  again  any 
Egyptian  forces  at  Suakin,  but  would  engage  3000  Turkish  troops  in 
British  pay.  That  would  settle  the  affair.  It  would  be  sufficient  for 
the  Padishah's  troops  to  appear  to  cause  a  collapse  of  all  fanatical  feel- 
ing." —  Ed. 


128  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

20th  Decemher.  —  Return  of  Her  Majesty's  forces 
to  Wady  Haifa,  leaving  1000  men  at  Dongola  till 
Turks  covJd  come  from  Berber. 

The  frontier  to  be  Wady  Haifa.  All  steamers, 
&c.,  to  be  handed  over  to  the  Turks.  The  two  mil- 
lions to  be  paid  in  four  instalments. 

Suakin  and  Massowah  to  be  free  ports  under  the 
Turks. 

Egypt  is  responsible  for  the  pensions  of  those 
who  return  to  Egypt.  Turkey  is  responsible  for  the 
pensions  of  those  who  stay  in  the  Soudan.  I  see 
nothing  to  prevent  the  whole  affair  being  settled  by 
the  end  of  Januar}^  and  the  whole  expeditionary 
force  from  being  in  Cairo  at  the  end  of  February. 

As  for  the  slave-trade,  one  cannot  help  it.^ 

I  cannot  see  why  France  could  object  if  we  let 
her  have  some  "  say "  in  Egypt.  She  will  thwart 
all  we  do  there  unless  we  do  let  her  have  a  "  say."  ^"^ 

We  make  up  with  Turkey  by  this  action,  and  she 

9  "Several  telegrams  have  been  sent  from  press  asking  about  what  I 
said  respecting  slaves.  The  question  asked  me  was  this:  Did  I  insist 
on  the  liberation  of  slaves  in  1889  as  per  Treats  1877?  I  answered  that 
the  Treaty  would  not  be  enforced  in  1889  by  me,  which,  considering  the 
determination  of  Her  Majestj-'s  Government  respecting  Soudan,  was  a 
self-evident  fact.  The  question  is  one  of  slave-holding,  not  of  slave- 
hunting,  and,  in  my  opinion,  that  Treat}'  of  1877  will  never  be  carried 
out  in  Cairo  as  to  slave-holding."  —  General  Gordon's  telegram  to  Sir 
E.  Baring,  received  at  Cairo,  Feb.  21,  1884,  Egypt  12,  No.  132. —  Ed. 

"Let  it  be  known  to  j'ou  all  that  I  have  been  appointed,  in  concert 
between  the  Khedive's  Government  and  the  Government  of  Great  Brit- 
ain, Governor-General  of  tlie  whole  Soudan ;  and  the  Soudan  has  now 
become  an  independent  State,  to  govern  itself  without  the  intervention 
of  the  Egyptian  Government  in  any  way  whatever."  —  General  Gordon's 
Proclamation  to  All  the  Notables  and  Inhabitants  in  the  Soudan,  Feb. 
13,  1884.  —  Ed. 

1"  General  Gordon  is  here  probably  quoting  the  views  of  Herbin,  the 
French  Consul.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  129 

> 

would  aid  us  to  prevent  Egypt  being  annexed  by 

any  other  Power. 

Remember  we  have  no  time  to  lose  —  that  we 
must  make  our  choice  at  once  —  and  that  choice 
must  be  one  of  a  strong  decisive  kind,  with  no  shift- 
ing hopes  of  something  turning  up.  Our  expedition 
is  very  ticklish,  very  expensive,  and  utterly  unretnu- 
nerative. 

If  once  our  men  get  sickly  up  here,  and  our  pro- 
gramme is  a  skedaddle,  the  consequences  might  be 
most  disastrous.  The  skedaddle  programme  would 
cool  all  the  people  against  us,  and  strengthen  the 
Mahdi  immensely ;  and  then  there  is  no  way  to  avoid 
the  heats,  unless  by  the  skedaddle  progTamme ;  but 
if  you  agree  with  the  Turks,  you  avoid  the  heats 
and  the  skedaddle  programme,  and  have  people  with 
you. 

I  hope  I  am  not  going  down  to  History  as  being 
the  cause  of  this  expedition,  for  I  decline  the  im- 
putation. The  expeditio7i  comes  up  to  deliver  the 
garrisons}^  I  think  it  would  read  well  in  History : 
"  Her  Majesty's  Government  having  accepted  duties 
in  Egypt,  and  consequently  in  the  Soudan,  sent  up 
a  force  to  restore  tranquillity,  which,  having  been 
done.  Her  Majesty's -Government  handed  over  that 
government  of  the  Soudan  to  the  Sultan." 

11  Though,  as  shown  in  a  previous  note,  General  Gordon  was  right  in 
assuming  no  expedition  would  have  been  sent  had  he  not  been  in  Kar- 
toum  with  Stewart,  he  is  also  right  in  saying,  "  Tlie  expedition  comes 
up  to  deliver  the  garrisons,"  for  the  avowed  policy  declared  in  the  in- 
structions of  Her  Majesty's  Government  to  Lord  Wolseley  was  that 
steps  were  to  be  taken  to  insure  the  safe  retreat  of  the  Egyptian  troops 
and  civil  employt^s.  —  Ed. 
9 


130  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Our  people  may  try  as  they  like,  they  can  never 
govern  Egypt  and  pay  the  interest ;  combine  with 
France,  and  let  down  the  interest  to  3  per  cent., 
which  we  cannot  do  without  France  agreeing. 

As  for  any  of  the  men  in  Cairo  now  pretending 
to  govern,  it  is  useless ;  they  know  nothing  of,  and 
have  no  sympathy  with,  the  country.  What  can 
they  know  of  the  country,  sitting  at  Cairo  ?  What 
the  people  want,  is  half  taxes,  and  Censors  going 
through  provinces  remedying  evils.  Do  away  with 
Wood's  army,  an  useless  expense.  Do  away  with 
three-fourths  of  European  employes,  railway,  &c., 
&c.  —  cormorants !  —  ditto  Gendarmerie. 

I  shall  send  out  three  men  in  different  directions 
to-morrow  to  Debbeh,  with  further  notifications  that 
three  steamers,  and  each  with  two  field-guns,  are  at 
Metenmia,  Shendy,  150  miles  from  Ambukol,  which 
is  35  miles  higher  up  river  than  Debbeh,  waiting 
orders  of  expeditionary  force,  and  saying  Cuzzi's 
baggage  is  to  be  searched.  I  have  now  done  all  I 
can.  In  ten  days'  time  I  shall  send  a  steamer  to 
Metemma  with  further  information.  The  attempt 
to  fire  the  magazine  has  made  me  vicious  with  the 
people.  No  one  in  from  Arabs  to-clay.  Query, 
ominous  1 

October  4.  —  The  boiler  will  be  put  in  the  new 
steamer  (sister  to  Abbas)  to-day.  She  will  be  ready 
for  sea  in  six  days. 

Report  from  Cassim  el  Mousse  late  last  night. 
Arabs  say  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  meditates  an  attack  on 
Halfeyeh.  The  trouble  these  Shaggyeh  have  given 
us  is  beyond  description. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  131 

Ibrahim  Bey  Ruckdl,  loq.  Lutraim  :  "  He  called 
for  me  at  (9  p.  m.)  3 !  in  the  night ;  he  bullied  me 
to  work.  Can  you  imagine  such  a  thing  ?  —  it  is 
preposterous.  He  flew  at  me  like  a  tiger,  because 
I  showed  he  was  unreasonable.  It  is  Bairam,  too  : 
can  you  imagine  such  a  thing  ?  " 

Awaan,  Arabi's  clerk,  has  been  telling,  in  the 
town,  that  the  letters  I  got  saying,  "  Her  Majesty's 
troops  are  advancing,"  were  written  by  him  and 
sent  down,  and  then  returned.  There  is  an  evident 
wish  to  take  off  his  head  ;  but  I  think  he  is  more 
fool  than  knave,  and  shall  try  and  resist  the  wish  of 
town. 

Saleh  Pasha's  son  telegraphed  to  me  he  wanted  to 
come  and  see  me.  I  answered  he  might  come  or  go, 
as  he  liked.  He  said,  what  did  I  mean  by  "go?" 
I  was  much  tempted  to  say,  "  Go  to  your  father, 
who  is  in  chains  with  Jfahdi"  but  resisted  tempta- 
tion, and  said,  "(xo  out  oj"  telegraph  station^ 

I  had  to  send  down  ten  barges  for  those  creatures 
at  10  p.  M.  last  night.     (See  p.  185.) 

No  spies  in  this  morning  ;  people  will  begin  to 
believe  Awaan's  statement,  that  he  it  was  who  wrote 
the  letters  (I  pretended  to  have  had)  from  the  Eng- 
lish. 

A  woman  just  in  says  there  is  a  report  with  the 
Arabs  that  the  English  are  at  Dongola ;  that  a 
steamer  and  four  nuggars,  with  English,  are  at 
Berber  (?)  (I  expect  she  has  mixed  up  Stewart's 
steamer  and  boats  with  her  story)  ;  that  the  Arab 
chief  of  Berber  has  sent  for  help,  which  has  not  yet 
been  sent  him. 


132  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

One  of  those  lai'ge  slic41s  was  blown  up  by  a  boy- 
treading  on  it ;  it  does  not  appear  to  have  hurt  him ; 
it  was  in  the  group  of  date  pahns  opposite  to  the 
Palace. 

I  confess  the  shells  do  not  seem  so  very  destruc- 
tive. PerhajDS  they  are  too  deeply  buried  ;  however, 
they  have  frightened  people. 

A  small  boy  and  five  men  escaped  from  the  Arabs 
and  came  in.  The  Mahdi,  with  Europeans,  is  at 
Schatt ;  he  means  to  come  to  Omdurman.  They 
corroborate  that  some  troops  went  back  to  Obeyed 
to  put  down  the  rising  of  tribes. 

The  boiler  has  been  successfully  put  in  the  small 
steamer. 

It  is  odd  how  quick  the  blacks,  by  instinct,  know 
how  to  avoid  the  effects  of  the  shells,  by  throwing 
themselves  on  the  ground  when  they  hear  the  fizz 
of  the  quick-match ;  they  all  do  it,  and  thus  have 
escaped.  Of  course  it  would  not  do  in  an  assault. 
The  little  black  chap  never  ran  so  fast  as  he  did 
when  he  got  up  after  the  explosion,  never  looking 
behind  him.  He  went  to  two  black  sluts,  who  had 
been  alarmed  at  the  noise,  and  explained  the  open- 
ing of  the  ground,  &c.,  with  a  good  deal  of  gestic- 
ulation. They  had  a  sort  of  Medgliss  ^^  on  the 
subject  whether  it  was  not  time  to  return  home,  and 
pick  no  more  grass,  after  such  dreadful  things  had 
happened,  and  which  ended  in  their  doing  so,  care- 
fully avoiding  the  scene  of  the  accident. 

I  expect  these  improvident  people  killed  over 
1000  sheep  and  goats  at  their  Bairam  ;  the  report 
is  that  it  exceeds  that  number. 

12  Court  of  Enquiry. — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  133 

There  is  no  doubt  there  will  be  a  fearful  famine 
in  this  country  next  year,  for  there  are  vast  districts 
lying-  desert  which  were  formerly  cultivated. 

I'he  party  which  went  to  Jaila,  the  villag-e  north 
of  Half ey eh  which  the  Arabs  had  attacked,  have 
come  back  with  the  rescued  families,  and  twenty-five 
cows  captured  from  the  so-called  rebels.  (Query, 
Who  are  the  rebels,  we  or  the  Arabs  f)  (To-day  is 
the  206th  day  we  have  been  more  or  less  shut  up. 
Delightful  life !  I  wonder  what  Azotus  [Ashdod] 
felt  with  its  twenty-nine  years'  blockade  ?) 

October  5.  —  Two  men  and  a  boy  came  in  from 
the  Arabs,  and  report  that  the  Mahdi  has  made  a 
small  advance  towards  Omdurman.  Little  else  of 
import.  They  say  Hussein  Pasha  Khalifa,  Saleh 
Pasha,  Slatin,  and  all  the  Europeans  are  with  the 
Mahdi ;  that  Kordofan  is  in  turmoil ;  that  the  Arabs 
say  they  will  wait  till  they  can  collect  a  lot  of  men, 
and  then  will  attack  the  lines. 

If  you  do  not  arrange  with  the  Turks  you  will 
not  get  out  of  the  country  for  a  year,  and  it  will 
cost  you  twelve  millions,  and  probably  then  you  will 
have  to  fall  back  on  the  Turks.  ^^  Whereas  if  you 
arrange  with  the  Turks  you  can  get  oiat  in  January, 
and  it  will  cost  you  seven  millions,  including  the 
two  millions  you  give  the  Turks.  Truly  this  black 
sister  "  Soudan "  has  avenged  her  white  sister 
"Egypt."   ^        ^ 

A  scorpion  in  bath  sponge  this  morning.  It 
stung  me  upon  the  finger.     I  murdered  it,  and  so 

i-'  This  forecast  is  in  a  fair  way  of  being  fulfilled.  —  Ed. 


134  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

am  quits.  I  wonder  whether  any  analysis  has  been 
made  of  the  scorpion's  and  the  cobra's  poison.  This 
is  the  sixth  time  I  have  been  stung. 

A  sheikh  of  the  neighbourhood  came  in,  and  says 
a  short  time  ago  a  Frenchman  came  up  with  two 
Arabs  from  Dongola  to  the  Mahdi.  The  Mahdi 
could  not  make  it  out,  and  asked  why  he  came? 
The  man  said  he  had  come  up  to  salute  the  Mahdi. 
The  Mahdi  being  suspicious  imprisoned  him  for 
seven  days,  and  then  let  him  out.  He  was  in  a 
dervish  dress.  It  is  said  he  spoke  to  Saleh  Pasha 
and  to  Slatin  in  secret,  upon  which  the  Mahdi  sep- 
arated these  two,  and  put  them  in  open  arrest  (is 
this  Rochefort?).  My  informant  says  he  denied  to 
the  Mahdi  that  the  English  were  in  Dongola,  but 
told  Slatin  and  Saleh  Pasha  that  they  were  there. 
This  man  is  with  the  Mahdi  now,  and  is  free.  It 
might  be  Renan,^^  the  author  of  the  '  Life  of  Jesus,' 
who  in  his  last  publication  takes  leave  of  the  world, 
and  is  said  to  have  gone  into  Africa,  not  to  re-appear 
again.  He  was  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  originally, 
is  a  great  Arabic  scholar,  and  evidently  a  very  un- 
happy and  restless  man. 

I  met  him  once  in  the  rooms  of  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society  one  afternoon,  and  I  remember 
the  Secretary  proposing  to  him  to  go  up  to  the  top 
of  that  high  house  !  to  see  the  observatory.  Renan 
declined.  He  looked  bored  and  weary  in  being 
made  a  hero  of,  and  when  Sir  R.  Alcock  introduced 
me  to  him,  I  suppose  he  saw  my  look  of  commisera- 
tion for  his  trials,  and  was  civil  to  me.     I  have  often 

1*  It  seems  pretty  clear  that  this  is  Olivier  Pain. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  135 

thought  we  might  meet  again.  What  a  fearful 
infliction  hero-worship  is  to  its  victim.  I  think  it  a 
great  imjaertinence  to  praise  a  man  to  his  face.  It 
implies  you  are  his  superior,  for  the  greater  praises 
the  smaller ;  and  though  that  may  be  the  case,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  announce  it  to  the  smaller.  Sup- 
posing one  is  wrinkled  and  grey-haired,  it  is  satire 
to  say  you  are  smooth  -  skinned,  &c.,  &c.,  and 
beautiful,  and  so  it  must  be  with  every  man  who 
knows  himself  and  who  is  praised  —  endurance,  self- 
denial,  and  twaddle  —  one  would  have  bolted  like  a 
lamplighter  if  one  could,  and  one  could  have  stood 
the  after  criticism. 

...  on  going  to  the  trenches  before  Sevastopol 
fell  out,  and  said  he  would  not  go  down.  The 
colonel  put  him  under  arrest.  He  was  in  a  way 
more  plucky  to  do  this  than  to  go  to  the  trenches. 
Self  -  sacrifice  is  that  of  a  nurse  —  ignored  (and 
"  paid,"  of  course,  what  can  she  want  more  !).  No 
one  goes  into  ecstasies  over  her  self-denial. 

If  it  is  Kenan  he  will  not  approve  of  the  pepper 
system.  The  man  says  the  Mahdi  was  perfectly 
astounded  at  this  Frenchman's  appearance,  and  did 
nothing  but  question  him.  "Why  do  you  come 
here  ?  "  &c.,  &c.  If  he  comes  to  the  lines,  and  it 
is  Eenan,  I  shall  go  and  see  him,  for,  whatever  one 
may  think  of  his  unbelief  in  our  Lord,  he  certainly 
dared  to  say  what  he  thought,  and  he  has  not 
changed  his  creed  to  save  his  life. 

A  black  mother  and  her  two  sons  have  come  in, 
and  say  the  Mahdi  is  at  Jura  Hadra,  twenty-five 
miles  south  of  Duem.     The  woman  was  delighted 


136  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

to  see  herself  in  the  mirrors,  and  grinned  and 
smirked  at  her  reflections. 

Spies  say  Nuehr  Bey  Angara  has  been  sent  back 
by  the  Mahdi  to  Obeyed,  to  put  down  the  rising  of 
the  tribes ;  if  he  would  only  rise  himself,  for  he  is 
an  old  friend  of  mine,  the  Mahdi  would  be  cut  off 
from  Obeyed  and  be  in  a  bad  way. 

The  steamer  Bordeen  is  back  from  Halfeyeh. 

We  chose  to  regard  Greece,  Spain,  Turkey, 
Mexico,  and  other  lands,  as  debtors  and  bankrupts. 
We  did  not  attempt  to  saddle  the  rulers,  personally, 
with  the  debts  of  these  countries  —  excepting  in  the 
case  of  Egypt  and  Ismail  Pasha  (i.  e.  we  did  not 
turn  out  the  rulers  of  those  states,  while  we  did 
turn  out  Ismail),  of  course  it  is  easy  to  put  it  down 
to  his  ill-faith.  I  expect  the  rulers  of  those  other 
states  were  guilty  of  far  worse  faith.  It  is  the 
custom  to  say  we  acted  in  the  interests  of  the 
oppressed  fellaheen,  but  what  have  the  fellaheen 
gained  up  to  the  present  time  ?  Where  are  those 
millions  to  come  from  I  have  talked  of? 

Let  us  consider  dispassionately  the  state  of  affairs. 
Does  Her  Majesty's  Government  consider  they  are 
responsible  for  the  extrication  of  the  Soudan 
garrisons  and  Caii-o  inhabitants  ?  We  can  only 
judge  that  Her  Majestj^'s  Government  does  recog- 
nise this  responsibility,  for  otherwise  why  did  they 
send  me  up,  and  why  did  they  relieve  Tokar? 
Once  this  responsibility  is  assumed,  I  see  no  outlet 
for  it  but  to  relieve  the  garrisons,  coute  que  coute. 
It  may  be  said  that  the  object  of  the  present 
expedition  is  for  my  relief  personalli/.     But  how  is 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  137 

it  possible  for  me  to  go  away  and  leave  men  whom  I 
have  egged  on  to  fight  for  the  last  six  months  ? 
How  could  I  leave  after  encouraging  Sennaar  to 
hold  out?  No  one  could  possibly  wish  me  to  do 
so.  No  Government  could  take  the  responsibility 
of  so  ordering  me.  There  is  this  difficulty :  perhaps 
it  would  be  patriotic  to  bolt ;  but  even  if  I  could  get 
ony  mind  to  do  it,  I  doubt  if  it  is  possible  to  get  my 
hody  out  of  this  place.  Had  Baring  said  in  March, 
"  Shift  for  yourself  as  best  you  can,"  which  he  could 
have  done,  the  affair  could  have  been  arranged,  and 
we  could  have  bolted  to  the  Equator  ;  but,  if  you 
look  over  my  telegrams,^''  you  will  see  I  ask  him  what 
he  will  do,  and  he  never  answered. ^^     The  people 

15  Not  received  from  the  Government  with  these  Journals. 

16  "European  Consuls  came  to  me  to-day  with  the  question  whether 
Kartoum  was  menaced.  I  replied  that  it  was  not  so,  directly,  but  that 
the  road  to  Berber  was  threatened.  They  asked  me  if  I  could  help 
them  to  go  to  Berber.  I  replied  '  Yes.'  There  is  no  doubt  that  when 
these  Europeans  leave,  it  will  be  a  most  significant  sign  to  the  people  in 
this  town  and  in  the  provinces  that  no  assistance  is  likely  to  come  to 
Kartoum.  Under  these  circumstances,  what  do  you  recommend  me  to 
say  in  order  to  neutralise  the  ill-effects  of  their  departure  ?  " — General 
Gordon  to  Sir  Evelyn  Baring,  Kartoum,  March  9,  1884,  11.30  P.  M. 
Egypt,  No.  12  (1884),  Inclosure  in  No.  242. 

"You  know  exactly  the  position  of  the  different  garrisons  so  far  as  I 
can  explain  it,  and  that  there  is  no  probability  of  the  people  rallying 
round  me,  or  of  paying  any  attention  to  my  Proclamation. 

"  If  you  mean  to  make  the  proposed  diversion  to  Berber  (of  British 
troops),  and  to  accepfmy  proposal  as  to  Zebehr,  to  instal  him  in  the 
Soudan  and  evacuate,  then  it  is  worth  while  to  hold  on  to  Kartoum. 

"If,  on  the  other  hand,  j'ou  determine  on  neither  of  these  steps,  then 
I  can  see  no  use  in  holding  on  to  Kartoum,  for  it  is  impossible  for  me  to 
help  the  other  garrisons,  and  I  shall  only  be  sacrificing  the  whole  of  the 
troops  and  employes  here. 

"  In  this  latter  case,  3'our  instructions  to  me  had  better  be  that  I 
should  evacuate  Kartoum,  and,  with  all  the  employes  and  troops,  remove 
the  seat  of  government  to  Berber.     You  would  understand  that  such  a 


138  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

had  not  then  endured  any  privation,  and  I  was,  as 
it  were,  not  much  engaged  to  them  ;  but  now  it  is 
different,  especially  as  we  have  communicated  with 
Sennaar. 

No  one  can  judge  the  waste  of  money  and  ex- 
pense of  life  in  the  present  expedition  —  it  is  an 
utter  waste  of  both  —  but  it  is  simply  due  to  the  in- 
decisions of  our  Government.  Had  they  said  from 
the  first,  "  We  do  not  care  —  we  will  do  nothing  for 
the  garrisons  of  the  Soudan,  they  may  perish ;  "  had 
they  not  relieved  Tokar  ;  had  they  not  telegraphed 
to  me  as  to  the  force  to  relieve  me  (vide  telegrams, 

step  would  mean  the  sacrificing  of  all  outl^'ing  places  except  Berber  and 
Dongola. 

"You  must  give  a  prompt  reply  to  this,  as  even  the  retreat  to  Berber 
may  not  be  in  my  power  in  a  few  days  ;  and,  even  if  carried  out  at  once, 
the  retreat  will  be  of  extreme  difficulty. 

"  I  should  have  to  leave  large  stores,  and  nine  steamers  which  cannot 
go  down.  Eventually,  some  question  would  arise  at  Berber  and 
Dongola,  and  I  may  utterly  fail  in  getting  the  Cairo  employes  to  Berber. 

"  If  I  attempt  it,  I  could  be  responsible  only  for  the  attempt  to  do  so. 

"  Once  the  Mahdi  is  in  Kartoum,  operations  against  him  will  be  very 
arduous,  and  will  not  serve  Sennaar  and  Kassala." 

"  Kaktoum,  March  9,  1884,  11.40  p.  M. 

"  If  the  immediate  evacuation  of  Kartoum  is  determined  upon,  irre- 
spective of  outlying  towns,  I  would  propose  to  send  down  all  the  Cairo 
employes  and  white  troops  with  Colonel  Stewart  to  Berber,  where  he 
would  await  your  orders.  I  would  also  ask  Her  Majesty's  Government 
to  accept  the  resignation  of  my  commission,  and  I  would  take  all  steam- 
ers and  stores  up  to  the  Equatorial  and  Bahr  Gazelle  provinces,  and 
consider  those  provinces  as  under  the  King  of  the  Belgians. 

"  You  would  be  able  to  retire  all  Cairo  employes  and  white  troops 
with  Stewart  from  Berber  to  Dongola,  and  thence  to  Wady  Haifa. 

"If  you,  therefore,  determine  on  the  immediate  evacuation  of  Kar- 
toum, this  is  my  idea.     If  j'ou  object,  tell  me. 

"It  is  the  only  solution  that  I  can  see  if  the  immediate  evacuation  of 
Kartoum,  irrespective  of  the  outlying  towns,  is  determined  upon."  — 
Ibid.  —  Eu. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  139 

5tli  May,  from  Suakin  ;  29tli  April,  from  Massowah)  ; 
had  they  telegi'aphed  (when  Baring  telegraphed 
to  Cnzzi,  29th  March,  which  arrived  here  saying, 
"  No  British  troops  are  coming  to  Berber,  negotia- 
tions going  on  about  opening  road  —  Graham  was 
about  to  attack  Osman  Digna  "),  "  SHIFT  FOR 
YOURSELF,^''  why,  nothing  could  have  been 
said ;  but  Her  Majesty's  Government  would  not  say 
they  were  going  to  abandon  the  garrisons,  and  there- 
fore "  shift  for  yourself y  It  is  that  which  has 
hampered  us  so  much.  On  the  one  hand,  if  I  bolted 
I  deserted  them  (Her  Majesty's  Government)  ;  on 
the  other  hand,  by  staying  I  have  brought  about  this 
expedition.  Baring  gave  me  distinct  orders  not  to 
go  to  the  Equator  without  the  permission  of  Her 
Majesty's  Government  (vide  telegrams  with  Stew- 
art's Journal).^'  I  do  not  question  the  policy  of  Her 
Majesty's  Government  in  not  keeping  the  Soudan. 
It  is  a  wretched  country,  and  not  worth  keeping.  I 
do  not  pretend  even  to  jvidge  the  policy  of  letting 
the  garrisons,  &c.,  &c.,  perish  ;  but  I  do  say,  I 
think  that  Her  Majesty's  Government  ought  to 
have  taken  the  bold  step  of  speaking  out  and  say- 
ing, «  SHIFT  FOR  YOURSELF''  in  March, 
when  I  could  have  done  so,  and  not  now,  when  I  am 
in  honour  bound  to  the  people  after  six  months' 
bothering  warfare.     Not   only  did  Baring  not  say, 

1"  "  I  have  received  your  telegram  of  the  9th  inst.,  informing  me  that 
you  have  received  a  letter  from  General  Gordon  from  which  it  appears 
that  that  officer  contemplates  proceeding  to  Bahr  Gazelle  and  the  Equa- 
torial provinces.  I  have  to  state  that  Her  Majesty's  Government  are  of 
opinion  that  General  Gordon  should  not  at  present  go  beyond  Kartoum." 
—  Earl  Granville  to  Sir  E.  Baring,  Feb.  11th,  1884.  —  Egypt,  iVo.  12, 
No.  4.  —  Ed. 


140  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

'■^  Shift  for  yourself^'  but  he  put  a  veto  upon  my  going 
to  the  Equator  —  vide  his  telegrams  in  Stewart's 
Journal.  I  say  this  because  no  one  deplores  more 
the  waste  of  money  and  life  in  this  expedition,  and 
no  one  can  realise  its  difficulties  better  than  myself ; 
but,  owing  to  what  has  past,  owing  to  indecision,  we 
are  in  for  it,  and  the  only  thing  now  to  do  is  to 
see  how  to  get  out  of  it,  with  honour  and  the  least 
expense  jaossible  —  and  I  see  no  other  way  than  by 
giving  the  country  to  the  Turks.  I  am  not  raising 
difficulties,  or  being  cantankerous ;  I  wish  most  sin- 
cerely I  was  out  of  the  place,  where  from  February 
I  have  had  no  peace.  The  question  is  how  to  do  so. 
I  may  be  wrong,  but  I  have  a  strong  suspicion  that 
much  rejoicing  (^rejoicing  perhaps  a  little  for  my 
personal,  but  a  good  deal  for  my  official  safety) 
woidd  have  taken  place  in  official  circles  had  I  ap- 
peared in  the  Ahhas  with  Stewart ;  but  it  was  not 
even  physically  possible,  and  I  should  have  been 
a  disgraced  man  for  ever  had  I  been  able  to  do 
so  and  had  done  it.  Besides  which,  we  were  en- 
tirely in  doubt  as  to  the  intentions  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government  as  to  letting  the  garrisons  slide  or  not. 
I  might  have  been  tried  for  deserting  my  post,  and 
for  letting  the  steamers  and  stores  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  Mahdi,  for  that  was  certain  within  five  days 
of  my  quitting  the  place.  What  I  suspect  or  do 
not  suspect  would  not  justify  me  in  my  action,  and, 
as  it  turns  out,  my  suspicions  were  wrong,  for  after 
Stewart  left,  I  hear  a  British  force  is  coming  up  — 
of  course  it  is  a  query  what  is  it  coming  up  for  ?  If 
for  the  gariHsons,  then  I  have  done  what  the  Gov- 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  141 

ernment  wants,  for  I  have  kept  the  city ;  if  for  me, 
then  I  have  done  wrong,  for  I  should  have  come 
down  at  all  costs  ;  but  in  one  case  great  inconven- 
ience would  have  been  given ;  while  in  the  other  it 
is  only  my  life  —  and  if  it  hfor  me  the  expedition 
comes,  it  would  be  better  to  tell  me,  "  Shift  for  your- 
self ;  we  do  not  mean  to  extricate  the  garrisons  "  — 
in  which  case  perhaps  we  may  find  an  issue  —  at  any 
rate  the  people  will  know  exactly  the  state  of  affairs, 
and  our' Government  will  not  be  exposed  to  an  un- 
necessary expense  and  danger  in  sending  troops  up 
here  for  ME.  I  should  consider  Her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment were  completely  exonerated  from  all  re- 
sponsibility with  respect  to  myself  if  they  sent  me 
that  order,  "  Shift  for  yourself ;  ive  do  not  tnean  to 
extricate  the  gm^risons,'"  I  should  make  my  arrange- 
ments, and  (telling  the  people  how  I  am  situated, 
with  no  hope  of  relief  for  them)  should  make  a 
bolt  to  the  Equator  in  six  weeks'  time.  There 
would  be  no  dishonour  in  that,  for,  as  I  had  no  re- 
lief coming,  the  only  sequel  of  my  staying  with  them 
would  be  to  be  a  prisoner  with  them,  and  in  fact  my 
presence  would  only  exasperate  the  Arabs  instead  of 
being  of  any  good. 

It  may  be  argued,  Why  not  retreat  on  Berber  ? 
I  would  rather  not  do  that,  for  I  would  wish  to  show 
in  a  jsositive  way  that  I  had  no  part  or  lot  in  the 
abandoning  of  the  garrisons,  &c.,  &c.,  and,  at  any 
rate,  I  should  save  the  garrisons  of  the  Equator  and 
of  the  Bahr  Gazelle  if  I  succeeded  in  getting  away 
to  them. 


142  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

October  6.  —  The  steamer  JBordeen  up  the  Blue 
Nile  wasting  a  lot  of  ammunition  on  the  Arab  for- 
aging parties.  No  arsenals  could  stand  this  drain 
on  their  resources.  I  expect  that  the  Bordeen  fired 
fifty  rounds  to-day. 

Three  escaped  soldiers  came  in  from  the  Arabs ; 
they  say  that  the  Arabs  have  sent  a  Krupp  and  a 
mountain  gun  to  Giraffe ;  so  that  may  account  for 
the  heavy  firing  above  mentioned.     One  of  the  men 
says  the  Arabs  placed  two  boats  in  a  positron  close 
to  the  two  guns  they  had  brought,  in  order  to  entice 
the  steamer  to  go  and  take  them,  thus  hoping  to 
sink  her.     However,  I  am  glad  to  say  the  steamer  is 
on  her  way  back.     The  continual  anxiety  one  is  in 
about  these  little  things  is  very  wearing.    One  never 
knows  if,  through  some  rash  act,  I  may  not  lose  a 
steamer,  or  men  may  not  be  cut  off.     One  hac  no 
man  like  Gessi  ^^  whom  one  can  trust  for  these  little 
expeditions.     Steamer  Toivfihia  went  up  the  White 
Nile   and   fired  upon  the  Arabs.     It  is  just  as  I 
thought :  the  Bordeen  steamer  has  come  back,  hav- 
ing been  struck  by  a  shell  about  a  foot  above  the 
water-line,  close  to  the  cutwater ;  no  one  was  hurt. 
All  the  Arabs  are  going  from  the  White  Nile  to- 
wards Giraffe.     I  expect  we  shall  have  the  old  game 
at  Bourr^  again.     In  these  circumstances  you  can 
imagine  how  very  vicious   one    feels  towards   Her 

18  Romulus  Gessi,  who  was  formerly  emploj'-ed  as  interpreter  at  the 
head-quarters  of  the  army  before  Sevastopol,  and  who  did  such  excel- 
lent work  against  the  slave-hunters  in  the  Soudan  as  General  Gordon's 
lieutenant  in  1878.  Gessi  was  subsequentlj'  appointed  Governor  of  the 
Bahr  Gazelle,  but  was  obliged  to  retire  owing  to  the  intrigues  of  Raouf 
Pasha.    He  died  at  the  hospital  at  Suez  in  1881.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  143 

Majesty's  Intelligence  Department  for  not  giving  us 
any  news.  It  is  not  so  much  for  myself  as  it  is  for 
the  townsjDeople.^^ 

The  steamer  reports  that  the  Arabs  had  five  guns. 
It  is  evident  the  Arabs  mean  to  hold  the  Blue  Nile 
by  their  force  at  Giraffe,  and  I  dare  not  try  to  dis- 
lodge them ;  they  will  then  communicate  with  the 
Sheikh  el  Obeyed 's  force,  and  eventually  come  down 
upon  Shoboloha  or  thereabouts  ;  while  the  Mahdi, 
coming  to  Omdurman,  will  circle  us  in,  a  second 
time. 

Owing  to  a  discovered  intrigue  and  the  risk  of 
having  too  much  power  in  the  hands  of  one  man,  I 
have  sent  Ibrahim  Ruckdi  to  Malia  as  chief  clerk, 
and  Gugliz  Bey  of  Malia  is  made  my  chief  clerk. 
Nothing  like  change  of  air  for  these  fellows. 

As  interesting  to  Stewart,  I  will  mention  the  in- 
trigue. He  knows  of  the  letters  which  came,  accus- 
ing Ibrahim  Ruckdi  of  venality.  Well,  a  Medgliss 
was  held,  and  Mahomet  Bey  Agad  was  found  guilty 
of  sending  the  letters.  I  did  not  care  to  push  the 
matter,  for,  in  my  belief,  Agad  was  right  in  his 
accusation,  although  he  had  no  right  to  write  anony- 
mously. Of  course  the  Medgliss  found  him  guilty, 
as  every  Egyptian  Medgliss  does  every  one  sent  be- 
fore it ;  so  I  temporised  and  hinted  to  a  third  person 
that  it  would  be  well  if  Ibrahim  asked  pardon  of 
Agad ;  this  hint,  being  of  course  a  sort  of  order,  he 
took ;  but  I  noticed  he  was  working  against  Agad  ; 

19  General  Gordon's  chief  complaint  against  the  Intelligence  Depart- 
ment was  that  they  spent  no  money  in  bribing  natives  to  try  and  get 
messages  through  to  Kartoum ;  had  they  done  so,  many,  he  held,  would 
have  volunteered,  and  some  must  have  succeeded.  —  Ed. 


144  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

and  yesterday  he  came  with  a  paper  against  Hassan 
Agad  the  Sandjak,  putting  it  forward  as  Ferratch 
Pasha's  idea  to  turn  Hassan  Agad  out.  I  thought 
over  it,  and  it  worried  me,  the  viciousness  of  the 
man ;  but  I  took  no  action.  However,  to-day,  as  I 
tokl  him  to  write  another  order  about  the  troops 
saluting  me  by  stopping  in  the  road  and  saying  he 
was  responsible  for  it,  he  said,  as  he  turned  away,  in 
an  impertinent  manner,  "  Am  I  Commandant  of 
troops  ?  "  He  was  brought  back,  and,  nose  to  grind- 
stone, was  sent  to  Malia,  and  Gugliz  Bey  was  brought 
up  to  chief  clerkship. 

I  own  I  am  suspicious,  i.  e.  I  judge  by  the  eye, 
by  little  signs,  &c.,  for  I  do  not  know  the  language ; 
but  I  cannot  help  thinking  I  am  more  often  right 
than  wrong  with  my  suspicions.  One  comes  on  a 
group  of  clerks,  heads  all  together,  in  the  chief 
clerk's  room ;  one  sees  disturbed  countenances  at 
once.  I  cannot  help  thinking  "  You  are  concocting 
devilry !  "  and  I  look  out  for  some  "  tricksy 

Another  soldier  escaped  here  from  the  Arabs, 
and  says  the  Mahdi  is  at  Jura  Hadra,  and  intends 
coming  to  Omdurman.  He  does  not  appear  to  think 
the  Arabs  care  for  the  English  advance,  though 
they  know  they  are  at  Dongola,  "  a  far  cry,"  they 
say,  to  Kartoum.  They  consider  Hicks'  defeat  was 
one  over  the  English  troops.  One  thing  is  good, 
viz.,  that  the  Arabs  came  down  to  Giraffe,  for  if  they 
stay  there,  when  the  British  do  come  they  will  fall 
easy  victims  without  any  long  march  inland.  It 
certainly  does  seem  astounding  that  the  Arabs  seem 
so  confident  when  a  British  force  is  only  150  miles 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  145 

from  them,  which  is  the  case,  for  that  distance  of 
150  miles  alone  separates  the  three  steamers  from 
Debbeh,  which  has  a  waterway  to  Dongola,  and  the 
place  the  three  steamers  are  at  has  a  waterway 
to  Kartoum.  In  reality,  with  a  well-equipped  force, 
Debbeh  is  not  more  than  eight  days'  from  Kartoum 
at  the  outside,  saying  that  the  150  miles  were  made 
in  six  and  a  half  days,  which  for  camels  is  twenty- 
five  miles  a  day,  very  easy  marching  ;  while,  from 
Metemma  to  this  is  100  miles  —  a  day  and  a  half  for 
steamers  (when  I  say  Debbeh,  I  mean  Ambukol,  to 
which  place  from  Debbeh  you  have  the  open  river). 
The  appearance  of  one  British  soldier  or  officer  here 
settles  the  question  of  relief  vis-a-vis  the  towns- 
people, for  then  they  know  that  I  have  not  told 
them  lies. 

The  Arabs  fired  fourteen  rounds  at  the  Bordeen. 
The  shell  which  entered  her  was  a  Krupp ;  the  hole 
is  now  repaired. 

It  was  an  unfortunate  remark  of  Ibrahim  Ruckdi, 
"  Am  I  Commandant  of  soldiers  ?  "  I  had  dismissed 
the  thought  of  changing  him,  having  comforted 
myself  that,  one  way  or  another,  my  tenure  of 
office  could  not  be  long  up  here ;  when  he  said 
that,  it  was  like  a  match  in  powder ;  he  was  brought 
back,  and  made  then  and  there  to  sign  his  dismissal. 
I  do  not  think  he  realised  it,  even  after  he  had 
written  it.  Even  to  me  it  was  a  surprise,  for  I  really 
had  given  up  all  idea  of  sending  him  off. 

The  sister  steamer  to  the  Abbas  will  be  finished,  I 
hope,  in  four  days.  She  will  be  called  the  JIussein, 
after   the  head  of   the  dockyard.     The  other  one, 

10 


146  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

also  a  sister  steamei*,  will  be,  I  hope,  finished  in  six 
weeks,  if  we  exist  that  time.  Of  the  two  steamers 
at  Berber  with  Arabs,  the  Fascher  and  the  Monsu- 
hania  —  the  latter  is  reported  disabled. 

I  have  ordered  the  Bordeen  to  go  on  the  White 
Nile  on  patrol  from  Kalakla  to  Shoboloha ;  the  Is- 
mailia  is  at  Halfeyeh,  the  TotofiJcia  at  Omdurman. 

The  Arabs,  who  went  in  numbers  to  Giraffe 
to-day,  went  back  to  their  Dem  at  sunset. 

We  have  another  large  steamer,  the  Chaheen,  up 
in  our  dry-dock^  which  I  hope  will  be  soon  ready  for 
action. 

A  man  came  in  from  the  Arabs  ;  he  says  Seyd 
Mahomet  Osman  has  sent  300  camels  to  bring 
his  family  from  Shendy  to  Kassala  (this  is  a  bad 
sign)  ;  he  says  the  English  have  advanced  towards 
Berber. 

October  7. —  Ibrahim  Ruckdi  has  fallen  from  £60 
per  month  to  £30.  Sixteen  soldiers  with  their  arms 
came  in  to-day  from  the  Arabs,  also  one  slave  ;  they 
had  not  much  to  say.  Arabs  had  three  guns  against 
the  steamer  yesterday  ;  they  kept  one  gun  at 
Giraffe,  where  they  keep  small  detachments  all 
night.  The  Arabs  pursued  the  men  escaping,  and 
fired  a  few  rounds,  but  did  no  harm ;  with  these 
men  came  in  four  women  of  theirs,  quite  a  flock. 

I  really  think  the  Arabs  on  the  south  side  keep 
such  a  way  off  because  they  are  afraid  of  the  cap- 
tured soldiers  deserting.  The  sixteen  men  who 
came  in  were  splendid  fellows,  all  nearly  six  feet ; 
they  say  a  body  of  forty  others  have  made  up  their 
minds  to  come  in  a  mass  either  to-day  or  to-morrow. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  147 

An  Arab  of  Kartoum  came  in  from  Omdurman  ; 
says  grass  huts  are  being  made  for  the  Mahdi's 
arrival  there  ;  man  says  the  Arabs  report  "  English 
and  Turkish  troops  at  Debbeh."  The  Towfihia 
went  up  the  White  Nile ;  saw  a  few  Arabs,  who 
fired  on  her. 

Another  soldier  has  come  in  —  the  Arabs  will  be 
furious ;  he  says  nine  others  have  made  up  a  party 
to  leave  the  Arab  camp.  The  Arabs  spread  reports 
that  I  kill  all  who  come  in  ;  but  the  whole  of  the 
soldiers  of  the  Soudan  know  me  of  old,  and  so  the 
reports  are  not  believed.  This  soldier  was  at 
Berberah  when  last  I  saw  him.  I  had  moved  all 
the  black  soldiers  from  there  to  Senheit,  as  the 
climate  did  not  suit  them.  It  is  odd  that  Berberah, 
Zeila,  and  Harrar  suit  the  Egyptian  and  chocolate 
faces  ;  not  the  blacks,  who  suffer  from  pulmonary 
complaints  in  those  parts. 

The  sputtering  of  musketry  on  the  lines  this 
morning  quite  reminded  me  of  old  times.  The 
Arabs  fired  a  good  deal  at  the  runaways. 

Some  of  the  officers  are  very  anxious  to  go  out 
against  the  Arabs,  but  I  do  not  see  it.  We  are  not 
safe  off  the  river  banks,  and  there  is  no  good  risking 
matters ;  besides  which,  we  can  never,  with  our  force, 
give  them  a  crushing  defeat,  which  will  alone  settle 
the  question ;  and  we  might,  by  a  small  defeat,  drive 
them  into  the  desert,  where  one  could  not  reach 
them  if  other  troops  come  up.  We  are  now  thus 
placed  (see  Map),  and  in  four  days  I  shall  have  four 
steamers  between  Shoboloha  and  Kalakla.  In  a 
month  I  hope  two  more  steamers  will  be  ready :  total, 


148 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


nine.  Arabs  have  two  at  Berber,  one  at  Wad  el 
Medinet ;  of  those  at  Berber  only  one  is  fit  for  work, 
the  Fascher. 


WletemmaQ 


O  Berber 
Arabs 


Three  Steamers 


El  foun 

Giraffe 
Arabs 

I  will  mention  a  secret  in  all  Egyptian  adminis- 
trations, i.  e.  if  you  give  an  order,  it  is  totally  ineffi- 
cient in  three  days'  time  if  not  repeated  again  and 
again  at  intervals ;  it  seems  as  if  its  essence  evap- 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  149 

orated  in  the  heat  of  these  countries.  The  officers 
would  laugh  you  to  scorn  if  you  said,  "  Why,  I  gave 
a  standing  order  respecting  this  or  that."  It  would 
be  to  them  perfectly  ridiculous  and  absurd  to  expect 
a  "  standing  order  "  to  be  obeyed,  unless  repeated  at 
intervals.  In  most  services,  standing  orders  are  re- 
garded, but  certainly  not  in  Egypt ;  this  is  the  rea- 
son why  all  those  beautiful  proclamations  and  laws 
issued  by  the  Control  and  their  successors  are  dead 
letters  after  ten  days ;  they  are  constructed  for  the 
European  Press.  What  is  needed,  is  continual  ham- 
mering at  seeing  your  orders  obeyed.  Saleh  Pasha 
sent  a  man  in  with  a  message  to  me :  "  Malidi  is 
coming  with  40,000  men,  etc.,  etc.,  etc."  This  is  all 
rubbish.  All  Kordofan  could  not  produce  this  num- 
ber ;  and  if  it  could,  the  country  could  not  support 
them  in  food  for  five  days. 

Fearful  row  to-night  because,  after  one  and  a  half 
days'  warning,  the  Bordeen  was  going  to  start  for 
Halfeyeh,  no  soldiers  were  found  on  board,  and  this 
after  repeated  orders  to  Ferratch  Pasha.  Men  may 
say  what  they  like,  but  one  is  bound  to  lose  one's 
temper  in  such  cases.  This  is  the  story  Saleh 
Pasha's  man  tells:  "Mahdi  with  40,000  men  is 
coming  to  Omdurman,  and  will  take  it ;  he  will  then 
plunge  into  the  river  and  take  Kartoum  before  the 
English  come."  I  reply  that  "  the  Mahdi  is  not  a 
fool  to  think  that  by  plunging  into  the  river  he  will 
take  Kartoum,  neither  can  he  have  40,000  men  with 
him.  Put  Saleh  Paslui's  messenger  into  chains  as 
a  spy  of  the  enemyy  We  have  spies  direct  from 
the  Mahdi's  camp,  who  say  "  he  has  not  3000  with 


150  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

him."  This  business  was  going  at  the  same  time  as 
my  row  with  Ferratch  Pasha  —  certainly  one  is  not 
on  a  bed  of  roses  in  this  place. 

October  8th.  —  One  soldier,  who  escaped  this  morn- 
ing, reports  that  the  Arabs  are  furious  at  the  deser- 
tions of  yesterday.  Saleh  Pasha's  messenger  (spoken 
of  yesterday),  on  being  put  in  chains,  acknowledges 
his  statement  is  all  fudge  about  Mahdi's  40,000 
men,  &c.,  &c. 

A  sergeant  escaped  from  the  Arabs ;  he  says  the 
Arabs  sent  up  about  200  black  soldiers  to  Mesala- 
mieh  to  get  grain,  and  they  escaped  to  Seunaar; 
that  Waled  a  Goun  meditates  coming  over,  with  two 
guns,  to  the  old  Dem,  which  was  previously  occupied 
by  the  son  of  Sheikh  el  Obeyed,  on  the  north  side, 
near  Halfeyeh,  which,  if  he  does,  will  be  a  great 
bore  for  us.  The  Mahdi  is  at  Jura  Hadra  ;  that  a 
man  had  come  from  near  Berber  to  say  the  expedi- 
tion was  advancing  towards  that  place.  One  has 
heard  so  much  of  this  sort  of  report  that  taken  with 
the  report  of  Waled  a  Goun  coming  to  Halfeyeh,  one 
is  inclined  to  doubt  it,  for  he  would  not  be  likely  to 
do  that  if  it  was  true  about  the  expedition  at  Berber. 

Sent  out  sjDy  from  Halfeyeh  towards  Shendy. 

AVhatever  may  happen,  I  hope  it  will  be  put  to 
our  credit  that  we  gave  you  the  Abbas  steamer,  and 
placed  three  steamers  at  your  disposal  at  Metemma, 
—  when,  if  we  had  them,  we  might  have  cut  the 
route  between  Jura  on  left  bank  of  the  Nile,  and 
Fakir  Ibraham  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Nile,  —  be- 
sides using  up  350  soldiers  of  our  meagre  garrison 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  151 

in  the  equipages  of  those  steamers  !  Truly  the  in- 
decision of  our  Government  has  been,  from  a  mili- 
tary point  of  view,  a  very  great  bore,  for  we  never 
could  act  as  if  independent;  there  was  always  the 
chance  of  their  taking  action,  which  hampered  us. 

Take  the  Tokar  business :  had  Baker  been  sup- 
ported by,  say,  500  men,  he  would  not  have  been 
defeated  ;  yet,  after  he  was  defeated,  you  go  and 
send  a  force  to  relieve  the  town.  Had  Baker  been 
supported  by  these  500  men,  he  would,  in  all  prob- 
ability, have  been  victorious,  and  would  have  pushed 
on  to  Berber,  and,  once  there,  Berber  would  not  have 
fallen.  What  was  right  to  do  in  March,  was  right 
to  do  in  February.  We  sent  an  expedition  in  March, 
so  we  ought  to  have  sent  it  in  February ;  and  then, 
the  worst  of  it  was  that  Baker,  having  been  de- 
feated, when  you  did  send  your  expedition  to  Tokar, 
Baker's  force  no  longer  existed,  and  his  guns  resist 
me  at  Berber.  It  is  truly  deplorable,  the  waste  of 
men  and  money,  on  account  of  our  indecision. 
Baker's  expedition  ought  never  to  have  been  pushed 
forward,  unless  by  small  stages,  supported  by  forts. 
It  had  not  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  to  go, 
and  that  distance  ought  to  be,  so  to  say,  sapped. 
Take  your  present  expedition,  I  do  not  know  (thanks 
to  that  Intelligence  Department  !^  the  details,  but 
it  seems  to  me  that  till  20th  August,  or  thereabouts, 
we  were  supposed  to  be  quietly  disposed  of,  but 
about  that  date  our  resurrection  occurred,  and  then, 
"  Let  us  have  an  expedition  at  once,  and  send  for 
Wolseley."  Had  the  men  at  Wady  Haifa  (Duncan) 
been  told  in  March  (when  he  came  up  to  Assouan) 


152  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

to  make  Stapes  up  to  Dongola,  tlaey  would  have  been 
all  ready  for  the  expedition  now.  Personally,  I  do 
not  care,  but  I  think  what  a  perfect  mess  we  would 
be  in,  in  an  European  war.  I  am  convinced  Wood, 
the  Sirdar,  and  many  others,  foresaw  what  was  likely 
to  happen,  but  they  did  not  consider  they  were 
called  upon  to  make  a  row  about  it.  (Plutarch's 
Lives  are  out  of  print  in  our  generation ;  we  do  not 
like  to  be  what  club  men  call  insubordinate,  though, 
of  all  insubordinates,  the  club  men  are  the  worst.) 
What  is  the  consequence  ?  Why,  an  infinite  expense 
and  great  difficulty.  Mark  the  way  the  Mahdi 
treated  Cuzzi :  is  it  likely  he  did  it  for  the  love  of 
Cuzzi;  was  it  not  because  Cuzzi  told  him  of  Bar- 
ing's telegram,  "  that  no  troops  wiU  be  sent  to  Ber- 
ber "  ?  Remember,  though  I  put  these  queries,  it  is 
not  I  who  put  them  :  it  is  history.  Why  did  Baker 
go  to  Suakin,  and  Wood,  the  Sirdar,  stay  at  Cairo  ? 
One  was  chief  of  gendarmerie  ;  the  other  was  com- 
mander-in-chief. It  was  not  a  question  of  police, 
but  of  war.  If  it  was  right  to  let  Sinkat  perish,  it 
was  right  to  let  Tokar ;  if  it  was  right  to  relieve 
Tokar,  it  was  right  to  see  after  Berber,  and  thence 
on  to  Kartoum,  Sennaar,  Kassala,  Bahr  Gazelle,  and 
the  Equator.  At  any  rate,  he  consistent.  No  one 
can  question  the  right  of  the  Government  to  decide ; 
but  when  they  decide,  let  it  be  a  decision.  "  We 
^viLL  ABANDON  ALTOGETHEE,  and  not  ccire  what 
happens.^''  That  is  a  decision  one  can  understand, 
whether  one  approves  or  not.  We  are  not  the 
judges ;  but  what  we  have  done  is  such,  that  I  de- 
clare I  very  much  doubt  what  is  really  going  to  be 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  153 

the  policy  of  our  Government,  even  now  that  the 
expedition  is  at  Dongola. 

What  were  my  ideas  in  coming  out?  They  were 
these  :  agreed  abandonment  of  Soudan,  but  extri- 
cate the  garrisons,  and  these  were  the  instructions 
of  the  Govei-nment ;  and  I  only  wish  that  the  pub- 
lic would  look  over  Baring's  and  my  telegrams  ex- 
changed from  28th  February  to  16th  March,  and 
see  how  he  answered  me  :  "^  it  was  as  if  I  was  amus- 
ing myself  up  here.  And  then  that  light-hearted 
fellow  Egcrton  .  .  .  adds  to  it  ("  that  I  am  in  (Cap- 
ua) "),  "  What  are  your  intentions  in  staying  at 
Kartoum?"^^  I  should  like  to  see  some  explana- 
tion why  no  efforts  were  made  for  the  relief  of  the 
garrisons  before  August  (jiot  my  relief^.  Berber 
was  known  to  have  fallen  in  March ;  it  may  be  said 
the  season  was  not  good,  then  why  in  June  does 
Egerton  tell  me  to  make  contracts  f  I  hope  Stew- 
art, will  cut  out  all  this  biliousness. 

20  General  Gordon  to  Sir  E.  Baring,  March  1st.  —  "  i^e  policy.  I 
maintain  firmly  policy  of  eventual  evacuation,  but  I  tell  you  plainly  it 
is  impossible  to  get  Cairo  emploj-^s  out  of  Kartoum  unless  the  Govern- 
ment helps  in  the  way  I  told  you."  —  Inclosure  1  in  No.  229,  No.  12  in 
Blue  Booh  No.  12. 

Sir  Evelyn  Baring  replies  in  a  telegram  dated  March  2nd,  188i  : 
"I  have  received  your  eleven  telegrams  of  the  last  four  days  on  matters 
of  general  policy.  I  am  most  anxious  to  help  and  support  you  in  every 
way,  but  find  it  verv  difficult  to  understand  exactl}'  what  you  want.  I 
think  your  best  plan  will  be  to  reconsider  the  whole  question  carefully 
and  then  state  to  me  in  one  telegram  what  it  is  you  recommend,"  &c. 

21  Earl  Granville  to  Mr.  Egerton,  April  23rd,  1884:  "Gordon  should 
be  at  once  informed  by  several  messengers  .  .  .  that  we  do  not  pro- 
pose to  supplj'  him  with  Turkish  or  other  force  for  the  purpose  of  un- 
dertaking military  expeditions,  such  being  beyond  the  scope  of  tlie  com- 
mission he  holds,  and  at  variance  with  the  pacific  policy  which  was  the 
purpose  of  his  mission  to  the  Soudan  ;  that,  if  with  this  knowledge,  he 
continues  at  Kartoum,  he  should  state  to  us  the  cause  and  intention  with 
which  he  so  continues.  "  — Egypt.  No.  12  (1884),  Nv.  36.  —  Eu. 


154  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

9  P.  M.  Telegraph  cut  with  Halfeyeh.  This  cor- 
roborates rather  what  this  man  who  came  in  to-day 
said,  i.  e.  that  the  Arabs  meditate  coming  again  to 
the  Dem,  north  of  this  town,  which  will  be  a  trouble 
—  it  will  be  the  beginning  of  a  second  blockade, 
and  I  hope  the  last,  for  I  declare  I  do  not  think  I 
could  go  through  a  tliird  hlockade  —  siege  is  too 
great  a  word  for  it. 

October  9.  —  Telegraph  repaired  with  Halfeyeh. 
The  Arabs  came  down  on  the  lines  with  two  guns 
and  exchanged  some  shots  with  our  people.  Only 
waste  of  ammunition. 

One  soldier  escaped  from  the  Arabs  to-day.  He 
came  from  Sheikh  el  Obeyed.  He  says  they  have 
got  the  gun  which  was  captured  at  Katarif. 

The  Arabs  fired  seventeen  shells  this  morning, 
but  did  no  harm. 

Those  Shaggyeh!  I  will  back  them  to  try  a 
man's  patience  more  sorely  than  any  other  people  in 
the  whole  world,  yea,  and  in  the  Universe.  It  is  no 
use  detailing  their  efforts.  I  have  now  sent  Moussa 
Bey  down  to  Halfeyeh.  I  really  believe  that  they 
did  try  the  patience  of  the  Arabs,  from  all  I  hear ; 
for  the  Arabs  frequently  thought  of  putting  them  to 
the  sword,  and  I  can  quite  imagine  Arabs  having 
this  thought,  from  the  wear  and  tear  they  have 
given  me. 

Of  course,  the  officer  on  the  lines  reports  masses 
of  Arabs  killed  to-day. 

Sheikh  el  Obeyed  killed  all  the  prisoners  he  took 
(who   were  inhabitants  of  Kartoum)   in  Mahomet 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  155 

All's  defeat,  near  El  foun.  I  Lave  ordered  the  sale 
of  200  ardebs  of  grain,  do  one  to  buy  more  than  ^ 
ardeb. 

Stewart  will  be  annoyed  at  hearing  "  Ibrahim 
Ruckdi  is  very  ill  !  !  !  !  "  Illness  dates  from  hour 
of  being  turned  out  of  head  clerk's  place ;  he  has 
not  sent  for  the  doctor. 

It  will  be  a  satisfaction  for  some  to  know  that,  ow- 
ing to  their  not  sending  me  any  news,  I  am  exposed 
to  hearing  all  sorts  of  disquieting  rumours  from  the 
town,  which,  though  I  do  not  mind  them,  are  not 
destined  to  make  one's  life  lighter.  The  Ulemas 
have  been  coming  here  for  two  days  to  see  me  ;  they 
have  been  bothering  for  more  grain,  and  so  I  put  ofp 
seeing  them,  but  I  gave  them  one  ardeb  a  piece.  To- 
day, however,  they  pushed  an  interview,  but  I  still 
held  out,  and  said  they  must  tell  my  Vakeel  what 
they  had  to  say.  After  a  deal  of  palaver  my  Vakeel 
came  in  to  say,  "  that  the  whole  of  the  toion  re- 
quested I  would  take  hack  Ihrahhn  Ruckdi.  "  What 
an  idea !  I  said  "  The  town  had  better  mind  their 
own  business,  and  leave  me  to  mind  mine ."  I  think 
it  is  lovely!  and  how  Ruckdi  must  have  worked  at 
it  during  his  severe  illness.  Ruckdi  had  got  at  my 
servants.  Edrees,  the  butler,  told  me,  with  a  look  of 
deepest  commiseration,  how  ill  Ruckdi  was,  on  which 
I  laughed.  I  guessed  he  was  on  the  sick  list,  and 
had  asked.  "  Yes  "  (with  a  deep  sigh),  "  Ruckdi  was 
very  ill.''^  "Illness  commenced  when?"  I  asked. 
"  Oh,  a  long  time  back,  but  duty  and  fidelity  to  me 
had  enabled  him  to  crawl  through  his  work,"  at 
which  I  laughed  again.    Then  came  the  Ulemas,  with 


156  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

the  town  petition.  I  can  quite  imagine  when  men 
have  bribed  the  chief  clerk  A.  to  be  favourable,  that 
it  is  a  bother  to  have  to  go  through  the  same  process 
with  chief  clerk  B.  on  A.'s  being  turned  out ;  it  up- 
sets all  calculations.  Ruckdi  will  return  to  Cairo 
with  Tongi. 

"  See-saw,22  see-saw,  why  it  is  enough  to  kill  a  fel- 
low. I  can't  keep  my  eyes  open.  I  would  give  a 
shilling  to  have  an  hour's  sleep !  l^es,  of  course, 
you  say  it  is  close  at  hand,  you  hlach  devil !  "  "  I 
know  your  Kareh  means  at  least  three  hours  more." 
"  Give  you  the  water-bottle  ?  I  can't.  I  don't  dare 
to  touch  the  rope  of  this  long-necked  brute.  Hullo : 
there  is  some  one  come  a  crojaper.  Rifle  '  broken  ?  ' 
Of  course  it  is  ;  you  cannot  fall  from  a  precipice  with- 
out its  being  broken."  "  Hi !  stop  !  Catch  hold  of 
the  brute ;  the  machuf  at ,  as  you  call  it,  is  slipping 
round.  Can't  you  stop  the  brute  (noise  of  a  body 
falling)  ;  well,  there  is  an  end  of  it.  I  wiU  walk 
now  sooner  than  embark  again  on  the  ship  of  the 
desert.  Am  I  hurt  ?  Oh,  no,  of  course  not ;  rather 
enjoyed  sensation.  Walks  half  a  mile,  boots  fidl  of 
sand,  and  tries  it  again.  "  —  Scene  in  Desert :  Ex- 
plorations in  Central  Africa,  by  Her  Majesty's  Army. 

The  machufats^'^  will  slip  forward,  and  camels 
will  object  to  people  riding  on  their  long  necks ; 
they  will  drop  vesuvians  on  camels,  who  will  not  like 
it ;  they  loill  get  galled,  and  have  not  glycerine ;  they 
will  drop  their  i)ipes,  and  not  dare  to  descend  for 

22  Supposed  remarks  of  British  soldiers  crossing   the  desert  upon 
camels. 

23  Saddles.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  157 

them ;  they  loill  pass  baggage-camel  with  sharp  edged 
boxes,  which  will  rasp  their  legs ;  as  they  momit  they 
will  go  over  the  other  side  and  swear  —  oh,  how  they 
will  swear !  all  their  Topics  will  be  crushed  —  aches 
and  pains  in  every  part  of  the  body  (I  should  be  in- 
clined to  put  them  on  ambulance  saddles,  one  on 
each  side :  awkward  if  they  meet  a  baggage  cara- 
van). "Tired  and  ill!  of  course  I  am  tired  and  ill 
after  bowing  and  swaying  my  body  to  and  fro  all 
night,  with  my  eyes  pricking  like  as  from  so  many 
needles,  from  desire  to  sleep  ;  and  you  may  say  what 
you  like,  I  swear  I  saw  more  than  one  of  those  skel- 
eton camels  get  up,  and  I  saw  houses  as  plain  as  1 
see  you.^*  I  was  between  Scylla  and  Charybdis.  I 
wanted  to  sleep,  and  I  was  afraid  of  falling  off  — 
shall  never  forget  it." 

"  Chermside  to  Kitchener  :  Any  news  of  khn  f  " 

"  Kitchener  to  Chermside :  Nothing  particular  ; 
two  or  three  more  men  down.  Steamers  at  Me- 
terama.  Abuse  as  usual  of  Intelligence  Department. 
Mahdi  doing  much  better :  he  finds  it  more  difficult 
to  get  his  letters  through,  and  will  have  time  to  get 
over  his  liver  complaint  and  injustices.  Stewart 
says  it  was  a  perfect  pandemonium  to  be  boxed  up 
with  him  when  in  his  tantrums.  /  hojje  you  are 
well.     Let  me  hnoio  if  I  can  do  anything  for  you^ 

I  think,  in  the  interests  of  the  Telegraph  Depart- 
ment, Floyer  ought  to  make  officers  pay  for  tele- 
grams like  this  intercepted  one. 

A   man  came   in   from  the  Arabs  on  the  South 

2^  Allusion  to  images  produced  on  the  retina  by   an  excited  or  ex- 
hausted brain.  —  Ed. 


158  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Front.  He  says  the  Arabs  have  imprisoned  the  reg- 
ular troops  with  them ;  that  the  regulars  want  to 
make  a  rush  for  our  lines  and  to  escape  to  us. 

A  boy  came  in  four  days  absent  from  the  Mahdi's 
camp,  which  is  at  a  place  opposite  Gitana.  He  says 
the  Mahdi  is  moving  along  the  left  bank  towards 
Omdurman,  and  that  he  has  with  him  all  the  Eu- 
ropeans, Elias  Pasha,  and  Slatin ;  that  he  will  try 
and  take  the  place  before  the  advance  of  the  English, 
who  are  said  to  be  near  Berber.  Kordofan  is  quiet. 
The  Mahdi  has  about  three  to  four  thousand  with 
him.  The  Mahdi  says  he  will  cross  the  river  dry- 
foot  —  by  a  miracle. 

Sent  for  the  Jsmailia  from  Halfeyeh,  replacing  her 
by  the  Towfikia.  The  Bordeen,  down  the  river,  will 
go  to  the  same  place  on  her  return.  Somehow  this 
advance  of  the  Mahdi  has  raised  my  spirits  ;  noth- 
ing is  more  dead-like  than  to  be  shut  up  as  we  have 
been ;  now,  at  any  rate,  a  month  will  see  him  victo- 
rious or  defeated,  as  God  may  will  it.  I  think  he 
will  try  and  negotiate,  for,  of  course,  Hussein  Pasha 
Khalifa  has  told  him  I  had  a  firman  enabling  me 
to  give  up  the  country  if  I  found  some  one  to  take  it. 

"  Kitchener  to  Chermside.  —  Hurrah !  Capital 
news  !  The  Mahdi  has  him  on  the  hip !  he  has  gone 
to  Omdurman.  Bottled  him  up  now !  We  will 
have  no  more  impertinent  remarks  about  the  Intel- 
ligence Department.  '  Dongola  illuminated  !  Regu- 
lar feast  of  lanterns  !  Wish  you  were  here,  old  fel- 
low; hope  you  are  well!     Can  I,"  &c.,  &c. 

I  declare  Floyer  ought  to  make  them  pay  for  these 
telegrams  —  intercepted  and  brought  here. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  159 

..."  Well  after  a  long  night  comes  the  dawn, 
this  is  somewhat  better  news.  I  confess  I  was  never 
much  taken  up  with  Livingstone's  explorations,  and 
I  never  would  have  believed  any  one,  if  he  had  told 
me  I  should  be  carrying  out  these  explorations  with 
a  British  army.  One  must  not  be  ungrateful,  but 
one  may  be  permitted  the  remark  why  that  Mahdi 
did  not  move  before  he  has  quite  spoilt  my  holiday  ; 
why,  dear  me,  in  three  months  I  shall  be  back  in 
that  bear-baiting  garden  again,  being  asked  ques- 
tions. What  a  life!  What  do  you  say?  I  am 
sacrificing  myself  for  my  country.  Well,  you  are 
right  there,  1  am  a  martyr,  if  ever  thei-e  was  one." 

The  mass  of  people  who  have  come  in  from  the 
Arabs  have  spread  far  and  wide,  —  what  is  to  be 
expected  from  the  Mahdi  and  his  Government  —  so 
I  have  no  fear  for  the  town,  which  I  suppose  has 
40,000  inhabitants  in  it. 

The  Arabs  prevent  all  coming  to  me  —  I  prevent 
none  going  to  them  —  and  I  even  give  them  written 
permissions  to  go ;  so  I  gauge  the  fidelity  of  the 
people. 

Small  steamer  got  her  steam  up  to-day,  and  I 
hope  will  be  finished  in  three  days,  armed  and  in 
action. 

I  feel  sure  that  the  Mahdi  comes  with  the  idea  of 
negotiating ;  if  so,  and  one  can  have  reasonable  hope 
of  success  as  to  the  extrication  of  the  garrisons,  I 
shall  negotiate  —  for  up  to  the  present  time,  my 
original  instructions  are  not  abrogated,  and  I  feel 
sure  Her  Majesty's  Government  will  not  wish  any 
longer  campaign  than  is  necessary,  in  these  parts, 


160  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

for  their  honour ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  if,  by 
negotiating,  I  get  out  the  garrisons  at  the  cost  of 
the  steamers,  &c.,  &c.,  I  must  not  be  blamed  if  in 
the  future,  by  the  cession  of  the  steamers  and  warlike 
material,  Egypt  suffers.  Her  Majesty's  Government 
gave  me  clear  orders,  i.  e.  "  get  out  garrisons  and 
evacuate" — these  orders  have  not  been  cancelled 
and  are  in  force.  No  official  notice  is  given  me  of 
an  advance  of  troops  or  of  a  change  of  policy ;  there- 
fore I  am  justified  in  acting  on  my  original  instruc- 
tions. Kitchener's  note  is  not  sufficient  to  justify 
me  in  disobeying  my  regular  instructions.  Eger- 
ton's  telegram  was  not  decipherable. 

Octoher  10.  —  The  beginning  of  the  year  1302  of 
the  Arabs  is  on  the  21st  October.  On  the  1st,  2nd, 
and  3rd  October  were  Hicks'  defeats.  The  Mahdi, 
bringing  all  the  Europeans  with  him,  makes  his 
move  look  as  if  he  were  confident  of  his  success 
ultimately.  All  information  tends  to  show  that  his 
object  is  to  starve  us  out.  If  the  man  would  only 
drop,  his  prophet's  functions,  we  might  come  to 
terms  ;  but  he  will  never  do  that,  I  fear.  There  is 
one  good  thing  in  the  Mahdi's  coming  here  —  he 
will  be  easy  of  access,  if  our  Government  wishes  to 
communicate  with  him ;  and  also  if  he  is  defeated 
there  is  an  end  of  him,  without  going  to  Kordofan« 
I  suppose  our  people  at  Debbeh  must  be  aware  of 
the  whereabouts  of  the  Mahdi  at  any  rate. 

It  is  an  odd  coincidence  the  advance  of  the  Mahdi 
and  of  the  expeditionary  force  at  the  same  time,  and 
to  the  same  place  (Armageddon). 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  161 

I  have  240  men  at  Omdurman,  and  it  is  pretty- 
strong.  It  is  not  likely  to  be  attacked  ;  for  if  the 
Mahdi  won  it,  he  would  not  have  gained  Kartoum, 
though  it  would  be  a  trouble,  as  it  would  discourage 
the  people. 

There  is  one  bother,  in  any  negotiations  (which, 
however,  I  do  not  think  possible),  viz.  how  far  one 
ought  to  go  in  re  the  steamers,  and  warlike  store. 
If  I  had  Zubair  here  it  might  be  settled,  but  now 
the  expedition  is  at  Dongola  it  is  a  query  what 
ought  to  be  done. 

I  have  lost  seven  guns,  two  on  board  each  steamer, 
at  Metemma,  and  one  on  board  the  Abbas. 

This  morning  the  Arabs  fired  six  Krupp  shells 
into  the  lines,  which  did  not  burst. 

Not  a  large  church  parade  either  at  Kalakla, 
South  Front,  or  at  Faki  Mustapha,  near  Omdur- 
man. Two  men  came  in,  one  from  South  Front  with 
rifle,  and  one  from  Omdurman ;  the  latter  says  the 
Mahdi  will  come  to  Omdurman  either  to-day  or  to- 
morrow, and  will  content  himself  with  the  invest- 
ment of  the  place.  He  has  with  him  all  the  Euro- 
peans, nuns  and  all.  The  Arabs  meditate  coming 
over  to  the  old  Dem,  near  Halfeyeh,  but  they  say  it 
wiU  be  the  Arabs  of  Waled  a  Goun  who  will  come, 
not  those  of  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed ;  this  is  odd,  and 
it  would  seem  as  if  these  two  parties  Jiad  fallen  out. 
We  know  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  did  not  agree  with 
Abou  Gugliz. 

People  do  not  appear  a  bit  put  out  at  the  ap- 
proach of  the  Mahdi ;  in  fact  they  look  on  it  as  a 
good  thing,  for  they  say  the  affair  will  be  ended 
11 


162  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

here,  and  there  will  -.be  no  necessity  to  go  to  Kor- 
dofan. 

A  very  little  Arab  boy,  with  large,  black,  limpid 
eyes,  came  in  from  the  Arabs.  He  had  been  cap- 
tured some  months  ago. 

The  steamer  Bordeen  is  still  down  the  river,  rob- 
bing, I  expect,  right  and  left. 

A  Sandjak  of  Shaggyeh,  who  was  for  months  a 
prisoner  with  Sheikh  Ibrahim  (son  of  Shiekh  el 
Obeyed),  told  me  how  this  latter  used  to  quarrel 
with  Abou  Gugliz ;  how  the  latter  had  taken  the  gun 
they  had  captured  from  us ;  and  how  glad  Sheikh 
Ibrahim  was  when  we  beat  Abou  Gugliz  at  Giraffe. 
On  one  occasion  Abou  Gugliz  put  Sheikh  Ibrahim 
in  chains. 

Four  of  the  Arab  Krupp  shells  fell  in  the  centre 
of  the  town  —  did  no  harm  —  (regular  bombard- 
ment of  Paris),  moral  effect,  nil. 

Little  steamer  Hiisseinyeh  trial  trip  to-morrow. 
The  Arabs  will  thiuk  one  of  the  large  steamers  has 
been  brought  to  bed. 

One  cannot  help  being  amused  at  the  Mahdi's 
carrying  all  the  Europeans  about  with  him  —  nuns, 
priests,  Greeks,  Austrian  officers  —  what  a  medley, 
a  regular  Etat  major.  It  will  be  a  great  crow  for 
Lord  Wolseley  if  he  manages  to  put  an  extingmisher 
on  the  Mahdi. 

Cambyses,  son  of  Cyrus  of  Isaiah,  lost  his  army 
B.  c.  525,  in  these  deserts,  2409  years  ago. 

The  Mussulman  year  1302  begins  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  Trafalgar.  "  England  expects  "  (does  not 
say  even  "thank  you  ")  "  you  will  do  your  duty." 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  163 

Those  who  were  ever  quartered  at  Gibraltar  will 
remember  two  despatches  over  the  miantelpiece,  Col- 
lingwood's  on  Trafalgar ;  Wellington  on  Waterloo. 
What  a  different  tone  in  them.  I  cannot  help  think- 
ing the  navy  is  more  chivalrous  than  the  army  in 
all  nations  ;  they  are  more  seriously  minded,  having 
gone  through  greater  vicissitudes  of  danger.  I  no- 
ticed flags  around  Faki  Mustapha's  tent,  and  three 
women  came  in  this  evening  from  Waled  a  Goun's 
camp,  and  report  that  the  Madhi  came  to  Omdur- 
man  to-day ;  but  a  soldier  who  escaped  with  his  rifle 
came  in  afterwards  and  said  the  Mahdi  had  not  yet 
come  to  Omdurman,  but  was  expected  to-morrow. 

In  five  days'  time  I  shall  send  down  the  Towfikia 
steamer  to  Metemma,  and  order  the  Talataiveen 
back.  With  the  Toiofikia  I  shall  send  this  journal 
up  to  date.     The  Towfikia  will  stay  at  Metemma. 

I  have  placed  two  of  the  castled  santels  at  the 
end  of  the  lines  on  the  White  Nile,  the  other  two 
are  at  Bourr^.  The  Bordeen  steamer  is  back  from 
Shoboloha ;  she  captured  fifteen  cows  and  four  slaves. 
She  was  fired  on  from  the  left  bank  of  the  Nile. 

Armed  the  men  of  the  band  and  made  them  body 
guard  of  Ferratch  Pasha. 

In  future,  for  the  defence  of  Kartoimi,  strong 
forts  ought  to  be  built  at  Shoboloha,  on  both  sides 
of  the  defile. 

The  Bordeen  telegraphed  from  Half eyeh,  "  Impor- 
tant spy  captured."  I  answered,  "  What  did  impor- 
tant spy  say?"  I  was  answered,  "Important  spy 
said  that  the  English  had  sent  out  three  men  to  see 
about  roads  to  Kartoum."     This  was  two  and  a  half 


164  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

hours'  work  to  get  this  information.  It  is  enough 
to  drive  one  wild  (a  very  small  mouse  for  such  a 
mountain).  Couriers  were  sent  on  horses  to  and 
fro  for  this  information.  I  am  going  to  sit  on  the 
captain  of  the  Bordeen  to-morrow.  These  people,  if 
they  have  a  grain  of  information  which  they  (not  I) 
think  important,  make  a  perfect  Mont  Blanc  of  it, 
so  as  to  get  promotion.  What  on  earth  of  impor- 
tance is  it  to  us  whether  the  British  general  has 
sent  150  spies  to  look  after  roads. 

The  captain  of  the  Bordeen  gave  the  names  of 
the  spies  sent  out  by  the  British  general  obtained 
from  this  "  important  spy,"  thinking,  of  course,  I 
should  be  delighted.  These  things  render  one  per- 
fectly furious,  for,  at  least,  twenty  people  were  kept 
at  work  for  absolutely  nothing;  and  like  a  born 
idiot,  there  was  1,  on  tiptoe  of  excitement,  waiting 
information  of  the  "  important  spy,"  to  end  with 
the  news  that  "  three  men  had  been  sent  out  by  the 
British  general."  Had  "  this  important  spy  "  said 
the  British  general  had  started,  it  would  have  been 
another  thing,  but  that  is  in  the  future,  and  I  do 
not  blame  the  British  general  for  not  rushing  head- 
long into  these  deserts. 

Octoher  W.  —  A  sergeant-major  came  in  at  Om- 
durman  to-day ;  he  left  the  Mahdi  three  days  ago. 
The  Mahdi  was  then  one  day's  march  from  Omdur- 
man,  at  the  place  Stewart  met  the  chiefs  when  he 
went  up  the  Nile  in  March.  The  Mahdi  will  be  at 
the  camp  Faki  Mustapha  to-night  or  to-morrow.  He 
has  from  2000  to  3000  regulars  with  him,  whom  he 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  165 

captured  here  and  there.  Three  Krupp  guns  and 
four  mountain  guns,  but  has  a  lot  more  mountain 
guns  en  route  from  Kordofan.  With  the  Mahdi  are 
Hussein  Pasha  Khalifa,  Saleh  Pasha,  Slatin,  and  all 
the  Greeks,  priests,  and  nuns,  who  have  become 
Muslim.  A  priest  and  a  nun  who  refused  to  become 
Muslim,  he  left  in  Obeyed.  Nuchranza  is  with  him. 
He  has  a  mixed  multitude  with  him,  who  are  not 
over  zealous,  for  he  has  discontented  the  people  by 
his  exactions.  They  have  plenty  of  meat,  but  not 
much  grain.  The  Frenchman  spoken  of  (and  sup- 
posed to  be  Renan  by  me)  has  gone  away  from  the 
Mahdi.  Fighting  is  going  on  in  Kordofan  in  the 
Gebel  Nubar.  Report  is  rife  of  the  English  being 
at  Debbeh.  The  Mahdi  intends  bombarding  Kar- 
toum  from  the  other  side,  and  trying  to  demolish 
the  fort  Omdurman.  The  money  captured  at  Ber- 
ber has  not  yet  left  Berber. 

Another  soldier  came  in  from  Waled  a  Goun's 
camp ;  he  says  the  regulars  are  all  in  chains. 

The  Arabs  are  making  a  fort  2000  yards  off  the 
South  Front.  They  fired  eight  rounds  from  a  Krupp, 
which  entered  the  town  but  did  no  harm. 

Four  shells  entered  the  town  yesterday  —  one 
slightly  wounded  five  black  sluts,  one  struck  a  house 
belonging  to  the  family  of  the  Mahdi. 

Small  steamer's  trial  trip  took  place  to-day  —  a 
great  success ;  she  snorts  terribly. 

Two  more  soldiers  came  in  this  morning  from  the 
Sheikh  el  Obeyed.  They  say  he  intends  coming  to 
the  old  Dem  off  the  North  Front,  where  they  were 
before.     They  say  he  is  not  on  the  best  of  terms 


166  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

with  Waled  a  Goun.  I  hope  sincerely  he  will  not 
come  opposite  to  us. 

Sent  out  two  men  separately  to  Debbeh,  with  noti- 
fication of  the  arrival  of  his  holiness  the  Mahdi  at 
Omdurman. 

Connected  the  fort  of  Halfeyeh  by  telegraph  to 
river  bank,  1500  yards. 

Moussa  Bey  put  in  charge  of  the  Bordeen  and 
Ismailia,  and  Omdurman  and  Mogrim. 

Ferratch  Pasha  is  made  a  Ferile  (General  of  Di- 
vision). I  am  more  generous  than  Her  Majesty's 
Government  (when  a  colonel,  I  used  to  make  Gen- 
erals of  Division.  The  Khedive  used  to  tear  his 
hair  over  it).  It  may  be  that  Ferratch  Pasha  may 
be  sold  for  $2\  in  a  fortnight,  if  the  town  is  taken, 
and  be  carrying  water  for  one  of  the  Mahdi's  Ameers. 
I  must  say  I  am  against  doctors.  If  a  man  is  suffer- 
ing intense  pain,  and  is  in  a  more  or  less  desperate 
condition,  I  would  give  as  much  morphine  as  would 
still  that  pain.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  ancients 
to  give  to  those  who  were  to  be  crucified  a  numbing 
potion,  which  is  that  mentioned  in  Matt,  xxvii.  34, 
Mark  xv.  23.  Our  Lord  would  not  abate,  by  mortal 
means,  the  slightest  pang  of  his  passion,  and  He 
would  not  taste  it.  But  in  our  Lord's  case  He  knew 
the  object  of  giving  Him  this  potion,  whereas  a  pa- 
tient need  not  know  it.  Our  doctors  give  a  compos- 
ing draught  to  produce  sleep,  and  I  cannot  see  why 
they  stop  at  that  and  do  not  give  a  draught  to  pro- 
duce insensibility  to  pain  —  but  I  suppose  they  have 
rules  we  know  not  of.  Napoleon  at  Jaffa  asked  the 
principal  medical  officer  a  question  —  whether,  with 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  167 

respect  to  the  plague  patients  (whom  he  could  not 
take  with  him  in  his  retreat  to  Egypt,  and  they 
would  have  had  their  throats  cut  had  they  stayed) 
it  would  not  be  justifiable  to  give  them  composing 
draughts.  The  principal  medical  officer  answered, 
"  his  business  was  to  cure,  not  to  kill."  Now  Napo- 
leon did  not  say  "  do  so,"  but  he  merely  asked  the 
question,  inasmuch  as  it  was  certain  that  the  throats 
of  those  patients  would  be  cut  by  the  Turks  if  they 
were  left  behind.  History  disputes  whether  Napo- 
leon did  not  get  another  doctor  to  give  the  compos- 
ing draughts,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  plague-stricken 
patients  were  killed  by  the  Turks  (whether  under 
the  influence  of  composing  draughts  or  not  it  does 
not  much  signify).  To  my  mind  the  principal 
medical  officer  was  a  snob,  and  took  advantage  of 
Napoleon's  question  to  make  himself  a  hero.  Napo- 
leon alluded  to  it  afterwards  at  St.  Helena,  and  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  his  version,  viz.  that  he  only 
put  the  alternative  question  to  the  principal  medical 
officer,  and  did  not  order  the  giving  of  the  composing 
draught.  I  shall  now  conclude  this  Volume  III.  I 
have  sent  200  men  to  Omdurman,  and  am  prepared 
to  evacuate  Halfeyeh  and  place  its  garrison  at  Goba, 
if  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  moves  to  the  north  of  this 

place. 

C.  G.  Gordon. 

12  —  10  —  84. 


BOOK  IV. 


On  outside  icrapper  (a  handkerchief)  : 
No  secrets  as  far  as  I  am  concerned. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 
Lt. -Colonel  Stewart,  C.  M.  G., 
Chief  of  the  Staff,  or  Lord  Wolseley,  G.  C.  B. 
Soudan  Expeditionary  Force. 


Journal  of  E\'ents  —  K artoum,  Vol.  IV. 
From  12th  Oct.  to  20th  Oct.,  1884. 

General  Gordon's  Journal 
EVENTS  AT  KARTOUM. 

From  12th  Oct.  to  20th  Oct.,  1884. 
To  be  pruned  down,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 

The  follo-\ving  note  accompanied  this  Journal,  addressed  to 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Stewart :  — 

Kartoum,  20th  October,  1884. 
My  dear  Stewart, 

Here  is  the  Journal  up  to  date  —  not  much  in  it.  I  hear 
you  got  down  all  right.  Kind  regards  to  Lord  Wolseley.  I 
have  given  up  now  all  idea  of  getting  information  from  you 
all.  Yours  sincerely, 

C.  G.  GORDON. 

On  inside  sheet : 

General  Gordon's  Journal,  Vol.  IV. 

From  12th  Oct.  to  20th  Oct.  1884. 

EVENTS  OF  KARTOLT^I. 

Together  with  a  paper,  Intelligence  Department,  on 

False  Prophet.^ 

To  be  pruned  down,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 
1  See  Appendix,  "The  Insurrection  of  the  False  Prophet." 


JOURNAL. 


October  12.  —  Post  left  for  Metemma  by  Tovifikia 
to-day.  I  am  almost  decided  to  evacuate  Ilalfeyeli, 
and  put  Sliaggyeh,  now  there,  at  Goba.^  I  dug  up 
a  shell  yesterday  which  was  at  the  foot  of  a  lay  fig- 
ure at  north  side,  and  see  that  the  reason  of  their 
(the  shells)  not  proving  fatal  is  that  they  are  buried 
too  deep,  and  their  force  is  expended  laterally  —  a 
man  must  be  over  them  to  be  hurt.  Of  course  this 
would  be  remedied  in  regular  warfare.  Were  I  to 
put  them  out  again,  I  would  lay  the  shells  on  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  hiding  the  fuses  or  ignitors, 
and  run  the  risk  of  their  being  seen.  Men  going  to 
assault  a  place  do  not  pick  their  steps,  as  if  they 
were  crossing  a  street.  I  have  ordered  the  concen- 
tration of  guns  on  part  of  lines  opposite  to  which 
Arabs  bombard  us.  1  have  ordered  silence  for  the 
two  or  three  first  rounds  of  the  Arabs,  and  then  to 
give  them  some  salvoes. 

What  with  these  people's  prayers,  eating  and 
sleeping,  one's  patience  is  indeed  tried.  I  know  no 
people  in  the  world  who  can  take  advantage  of  cover 
better  than  them  —  the  cover  being  "/  am  ill;'''' 
that  is  a  settler ;  for  although  you  know  it  is  the 

1  Goba  is  on  fhe  right  bank  of  the  Blue  Nile,  to  the  north  of  Tuti 
Island,  and  within  two  miles  of  Kartoum.  —  Ed. 


172  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

illness  of  laziness,  you  can  say  nothing ;  if  you 
doubt  it,  you  are  universally  voted  a  brute. 

When  you  say  to  any  escaped  soldier,  "  Why  do 
you  come  here  ?  "  he  replies,  "  Why,  the  Arabs  give 
us  nothing.  Why,  with  you  I  can  get  this  or  that." 
It  is  merely  a  question  of  what  they  can  get.  The 
belly  governs  the  whole  world. 

Have  ordered  the  Bordeen  steamer  to  creep  up 
when  the  moon  rises,  and  attack  the  Arab  ferry  at 
Kalakla. 

Went  over  to  Goba,  and  chose  positions  for  the 
Shaggeyeh  tribe.  If  we  evacuate  Halfeyeh,  we  shall 
have  to  give  uj)  three  outer  forts,  and  one  central 
one  (Seyd  Mahomet  Osman's  house). 

It  is  quite  a  danger  to  pass  through  the  yard  of 
the  Palace  on  account  of  the  turkey-cock  (though 
he  has  a  harem  of  five)  ;  he  killed  two  of  his  chil- 
dren the  other  day.  I  do  not  know  if  you  have  no- 
ticed it,  but  when  not  angry,  or  in  full  dress,  the 
lobes  of  flesh  about  their  necks  are  grey  ;  but  it 
does  not  need  half  a  minute  for  them  to  make  them 
of  the  most  brilliant  scarlet.  >  I  cannot  understand 
how  they  make  part  of  their  heads  blue,  while  the 
appendages  are  scarlet.  I  think  the  turkey-cock  is 
a  bird  worth  studying ;  the  tuft  in  front  is  peculiar 
to  him  alone.  I  know  no  other  bird  which  has  it. 
I  would  give  him  the  palm  over  all  birds  for  pluck. 

I  have  decided  to  bring  those  wretched  Shaggyeh 
over  to  Goba,  and  have  sent  boats  for  them.^ 

I  declare  solemnly,  that  if  it  were  not  for  the 
honour's  sake  of  our  nation,  I  would  let  these  people 

2  See  p.  131. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  173 

slide  ;  tliey  are  of  the  very  feeblest  nature,  and  the 
Arabs  are  ten  times  better  ;  but  because  they  are 
weak,  there  is  so  much  more  the  reason  to  try  and 
help  them  ;  for  I  think  it  was  because  we  were  such 
worthless  creatures,  that  Our  Lord  came  to  deliver 
us.  These  Shaggyeh  know  no  shame.  It  is  an  un- 
known quantity  with  them.  What  a  life  one  has  to 
live.  I  wish  I  commanded  the  Arabs  (speaking 
professionally).  I  think  it  is  a  great  shame  not 
giving  me  Zubair  Pasha,  for  he  would  know  how  to 
deal  with  these  people.  They  are  the  weariness  of 
my  life.  From  February  until  now  they  have  been 
one  continued  worry  to  me,  and  I  expect  they  wor- 
ried the  Arabs  as  much. 

I  have  decided  to  put  the  Shaggyeh  Into  the  North 
Fort,  and  not  to  occupy  Goba.  A  slave  came  in 
from  Merowe  ;  had  no  news.  The  Arabs  did  not 
fire  upon  the  lines  to-day,  so  concentration  of  artil- 
lery fire  on  them  did  not  come  off.  A  woman  came 
into  the  lines  from  Waled  a  Goun  with  a  letter.^ 
The  Towfikia  was  to  have  left  this  morning ;  but 
late  last  night,  happening  to  go  to  the  telegraph  of- 
fice, and  asking  whether  she  was  all  ready  ?  the  cap- 
tain replied  he  had  no  wood !  so  there  was  an  end  of 
her  start  to-day. 

I  particularly  wish  to  ascertain  how  many  commu- 
nications were  sent  me  from  Cairo  or  elsewhere  in 
Egypt  between  the  12th  of  March,  when  the  tele- 
gTaph  wire  was  cut,  and  the  present  date.^  I  hope 
Stewart  will  get  this  information  for  me,  and   not  be 

2  Appendix  P. 

*  It  would  be  interesting  if  some  Member  of  Parliament  would  ask 
Her  Majesty's  Government  for  informatioa  on  this  subject  — Ed. 


174  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

hoodwinked  about  it.  I  sliould  also  much  like  the 
substance  of  those  communications. 

The  letter  was  from  Abou  Gugliz  ^  sending  in  a 
woman  who  had  before  been  a  spy.  He  begs  me  to 
become  a  Mussulman,  &c.  The  woman  who  brought 
it  says  the  Mahdi  comes  to-night  to  Omdurman,  and 
that  he  says,  as  soon  as  he  comes,  /  shall  ask  to  sur- 
render? The  Mahdi  says  he  will  write  me  three 
letters  ;  he  will  then  wait  for  five  days,  and  that  he 
will  then  advance  across  the  river,  which  will  divide 
for  him.  Looking  at  the  date  which  will  be  arrived 
at,  after  these  letters  are  written  and  the  five  days' 
grace  have  expired,  and  making  allowances  for  what 
is  meant  by  the  dividing  of  the  waters,  it  would 
bring  the  Mahdi's  attack  about  the  21st  October,  the 
New  Year's  day  of  1302  a.  h. 

We  hear  the  Arabs  are  perplexed,  because  the 
other  day,  when  they  bombarded  us,  we  did  not  an- 
swer. This  was  my  doing  to  save  ammunition.  The 
Arabs  asked  the  regulars  with  them,  "  Why  we  did 
not  answer  ?  "  and  said  they  were  sure  the  regulars 
were  in  communication  with  us.  We  are  now  weigh- 
ing the  pros  and  cons  for  not  answering  the  artillery 
fire  of  the  Arabs,  which  does  us  no  harm  and  uses  up 
their  ammunition.  By  not  doing  so  we  do  not  lose 
the  sympathies  of  the  regulars,  whereas  if  we  do  so 
we  exasperate  and  render  desjoerate  those  regulars. 
We  had  an  instance  of  that  at  Bourre,  where  at  first 
the  regulars  were  well  disposed  towards  us,  and  came 
over  in  numbers  ;  whereas  after  we  had  killed  a  lot 
of  them  they  ceased  to  come  in,  and  used  to  fight 
us  with  viciousness. 

5  Appendix  P. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  175 

The  woman  says,  beyond  the  captured  regulars, 
Arabs  have  no  fighting  force.  These  captured  reg- 
ulars are  mostly  all  blacks. 

Another  ^;/o^  ?  In  town  a  man  was  discovered 
taking  out  a  note  couched  in  mysterious  language 
from  one  of  the  clerks  in  a  Government  office. 
With  the  note  was  £34,  supposed  to  be  a  present  to 
the  Mahdi  from  Sheildi  el  Islam  (the  blind  man) 
here.  The  efforts  to  square  the  circle  are  extraordi- 
nary. The  people  here,  I  expect,  have  all  hedged. 
I  am  going  to  make  a  sort  of  general  arrest  to-night 
(similar  to  that  made  by  Napoleon  III.  on  the  night 
of  the  1st  December)  of  all  who  are  supposed  to  be 
in  communication  with  the  Mahdi.  I  shall  not  hurt 
them,  but  shall  send  them  out  to  the  Mahdi.  (Query, 
was  it  on  the  night  of  the  lst-2nd  December  Na- 
poleon took  his  foes  j^risoners,  or  on  the  night  of  the 
2nd -3rd  December?  I  think  it  was  the  night  of 
the  lst-2nd  December,  and  the  so-called  massacre 
happened  during  the  day  of  the  2nd  December.) 
(  Vide  Kinglake  in  '  Coup  d'etat.') 

I  shall  not  send  out  the  Sheikh  el  Islam  ^  al- 
though he  is  a  disgrace.  I  asked  Mahomet  Edrees, 
my  servant,  "  to  become  a  Christian."  He  said  "  he 
could  not."  Then  I  said,  "  Why  ask  me  to  become 
a  Mussulman,  when  your  Sheikh  el  Islam  is  pre- 
pared to  acknowledge  Mahomet  Achmet  as  the 
Mahdi  ?  "  5  p.  M.  —  The  arrests  are  out.  Sheikh 
el  Islam,  Cadi,  and  a  host  of  swells  are  to  be  kept 
in  their  homes  —  sixteen  in  all !  A  good  swoop  ; 
among  them  the  Mudir  Achmet  Bey  Jelaba.    I  have 

6  /.  e.,  the  priest.  —  Ed. 


176  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

made  Moussa  Bey  Mudir.  There  will  be  quite  a 
scare  about  it.  I  have  not  sent  any  away  to  the 
Mahdi.  The  band  boys  are  all  armed,  and  are  quite 
ferocious.  It  would  be  a  great  mistake  to  come  up 
here  and  think  to  find  soldiers  in  extremis  ;  they  are 
as  cocky  as  possible.  They  strut  along  as  if  no  one 
was  their  equal.  The  blacks  are  a  stubborn  race ; 
and  if  one  sticks  to  them,  they  will  stick  to  you. 
The  Towfihia  has  left  for  Metemma  at  last. 

A  mouse  has  taken  Stewart's  place  at  table  ;  she 
(judging  from  her  swelled-out  appearance)  comes  up 
and  eats  out  of  my  plate  without  fear. 

The  turkey-cock  has  become  so  disagreeable  that 
I  had  to  put  his  head  under  his  wing  and  sway  him 
to  and  fro  till  he  slept.  The  cavasses  thought  he 
was  dead,  but  he  got  up  and  immediately  went  at 
me.  The  putting  the  head  under  the  wing  acts  with 
all  birds,  but  it  is  the  coch  alone  who  gets  mesmer- 
ised by  the  chalk  lines  drawn  in  front  of  his  beak. 
How  do  you  account  for  this  ? 

I  believe  that  a  good  recruitment  of  blacks  and 
Chinese  would  give  England  all  the  troops  she  wants 
for  expeditions,  mixed  with  one-sixth  English.  As 
for  those  wretched  Sepoys,  they  are  useless.  I  would 
garrison  India  with  Chinese  and  blacks,  with  one- 
sixth  English,  and  no  army  could  stand  against  us. 
The  Chinese  in  Shanghai  had  the  greatest  contempt 
for  the  Bombay  Sepoys,  and  used  to  knock  them 
about.  Beloochees  and  Sikhs  are  a  different  class. 
I  have  the  greatest  contempt  for  the  pure  Indian 
Sepoys.  Chinese,  or  blacks,  or  Goorkas,  or  Beloo- 
chees are   far   better.     The  moment  he   (the   pure 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  177 

Sepoy)  is  off  parade,  he  puts  off  all  uniform  that 
connects  him  with  Her  Majesty's  Government,  and 
puts  on  his  dish-clout.  I  hate  these  snake-like  crea- 
tures. Any  man  accustomed  to  judge  by  faces  sees 
that  they  hate  us. 

I  would  back  the  Mussulmans  of  India  against  the 
lot  of  those  snakes.  India,  to  me,  is  not  an  advan- 
tage ;  it  accustoms  our  men  to  a  style  of  life  which 
they  cannot  keep  up  in  England ;  it  deteriorates  our 
women.  If  we  keep  the  sea-coast,  it  is  all  that  we 
want.  It  is  the  centre  of  all  petty  intrigue,  while  if 
our  energy  were  devoted  elsewhere,  it  would  produce 
tenfold.  India  sways  all  our  policy  to  our  detri- 
ment. Lord  Cardwell  replied  (when  I  asked  him 
the  question  as  to  the  benefit  we  got  from  India), 
"  that  toe  could  not  get  out  of  it,"  and  I  suppose 
that  is  the  answer  that  must  be  given. 

October  13.  —  Cavalry  sortie  this  morning  from 
Bourre  ;  captured  fifteen  slaves  and  killed  thirteen 
men  who  resisted.  This  sortie  was  under  Abdoul 
Hamid,  the  Sandjak  of  the  Shaggyeh.  We  lost 
none. 

The  Arabs  on  Omdurman  side  have  spread  out 
their  huts  in  a  semicircle  (but  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance) around  Omdurman,  on  the  left  bank. 

Shaggyeh  from  Halfeyeh  will  be  in  the  North  Fort 
to-day.  The  Arabs  off  South  Front,  near  the  White 
Nile,  fired  musketry  against  the  lines,  but  did  no 
harm. 

Last  night  cavalry  Shaggyeh  captured  three  men 
who  were  going  off  to  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  from  Hal- 

12 


178  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

feyeh ;  they  had  their  arms  with  them.  I  have  let 
them  go  again. 

No  definite  news  yet  of  the  arrival  of  the  Mahdi 
at  Omdurman.  The  Mahdi  will  be  furious  with  this 
cavalry  sortie  ;  it  will  be  disagreeable  news  to  him 
on  his  arrival  here. 

A  man  from  the  Arabs  has  come  in  to  Omdurman 
with  two  letters  ; "  it  is  too  late  to  see  them  to-night. 
By  telegraph  I  hear  that  the  man  brought  two  let- 
ters for  the  Commandant  at  Omdurman  from  Faki 
Mustapha,  saying  the  Mahdi  was  coming  the  day 
after  to-morrow,  and  inviting  him  to  submit ;  so  I 
have  told  them  to  send  the  man  off  again. 

We  are  a  wonderful  people  ;  it  was  never  our 
Government  which  made  us  a  great  nation ;  our 
Government  has  been  ever  the  drag  on  our  wheels. 
It  is,  of  course,  on  the  cards  that  Kartoum  is  taken 
under  the  nose  of  the  expeditionary  force,  which  will 
he  just  too  late? 

The  expeditionary  force  will  perhaps  think  it  neces- 
sary to  retake  it ;  bvit  that  will  be  of  no  use,  and  will 
cause  loss  of  life  uselessly  on  both  sides.  It  had  far 
better  quietly  return,  with  its  tail  between  its  legs ; 
for  once  Kartoum  is  taken,  it  matters  little  if  the 
Opposition  say  "  You  gave  up  Kartoum,"  or  "  You 
gave  up  Kartoum,  Sennaar,"  &c.,  &c. ;  the  sun  will 
have  set,  people  will  not  care  much  for  the  satellites. 
England  was  made  by  adventurers,  not  by  its  Gov- 

"'  Appendix  Q. 

8  jMany  of  General  Gordon's  "instincts"  have  been  no  less  remark- 
able than  many  of  his  escapes.  In  a  telegram  to  Sir  Evelyn  Baring', 
dated  March  1st,  he  said,  "I  will  do  my  best  to  carry  out  my  instruc- 
tions, but  feel  convinced  I  shall  be  caught  in  Kartoum."  ^Ep. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


179 


ernment,  and  I  believe  it  will  only  hold  its  place  by- 
adventurers.  If  Kartoum  falls,  then  go  quietly  back 
to  Cairo,  for  you  will  only  lose  men  and  spend  money 
uselessly  in  carrying  on  the  campaign.^ 

October  lUh.  —  I  have  been  obliged  to  make  some 
more  arrests.  Report  in  says  many  of  the  people, 
chiefs,  &e.,  of  Shendy  come  in  to  the  three  steamers 


■lUl'Ilf*'. 


1.  Daihj  News.     2.  Times.     3.  Standard.     4.  Pall  Mall  Gazette. 

now  at  Metemma ;  also  that  the  steamers  have  been 
firing  on  the  Arabs  of  Metemma ;  report  says  that 
expedition  advance  guard  is  at  Abou  Hamed,  re- 
mainder at  Merow^  ;  that  some  English  are  coming 
from  Kassala  with  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman  to  Gros 
Rag^b  ;  that  the  Sakkeyer  Arabs  meditate  a  raid  on 
Shoboloha  tribes,  who  are  favourable  to  Government. 
The  Arabs  fired  on  the  lines  this  morning,  doing  no 
harm.  Made  Ferratch  Ullali,  who  used  to  be  at  the 
Palace,  a  Miralli.io 

9  It  is  worth  while  to  note  how  readily  Her  Majesty's  Government, 
who  had  declined  all  General  Gordon's  suggestions  while  he  lived,  ac- 
cepted this  posthumous  piece  of  advice.  —  Ed. 

1"  In  his  Wild  Tribes  of  the  Soudan,  Mr.  F.  L.  James  gives  an  ac- 
count of  how  he  and  his  party  were  treated  by  Ala-ed-Deen  and  the  Bey 
at  Senheit.  This  Bey  was  no  other  than  Ferratch  Pasha,  who  is  said  to 
have  opened  the  gates  of  Kartoum.     "  We  had  engaged  camels  at  Sen- 


180  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

In  the  two  letters,  ^^  Faki  Mustapha  says  the 
English  are  prisoners  at  Assouan,  and  that  the 
Arabs  had  captured  Abbas  with  Stewart  at  Cataract 
Dar  Djumna,  below  Abou  Hamed,  tohich  would  he 
dismal  1 

Arabs  are  keeping  a  long  way  off  the  lines  since 
the  cavalry  sortie. 

No  sigTi  of  the  arrival  of  the  Mahdi  at  Omdurman. 
Very  few  horsemen  to  be  seen  on  the  South  Front. 
Query,  have  they  gone  down  towards  Berber  ? 

This  evening,  some  twelve  of  those  arrested  and 
allowed  to  stay  in  their  houses  are  to  be  taken  to 
the  barracks  ;  I  hate  those  arrests,  but  one  can 
scarcely  doubt  so  many  informants,  who  declare 
there  was  "  trahison"  meditated,  not  from  any  wish 
to  join  Mahdi,  but  for  fear  I  was  not  strong  enough 
to  hold  the  city,  and  owing  to  Awaan's  statement, 
that  he  had  v^ritten  the  letters  I  had  received  from 
Debbeh  announcing  that  the  expeditionary  force 
was  coming. 

The  north  side  is  like  a  market,  with  the  camels, 

heit,"  says  Mr.  James,  "  for  some  weeks'  shooting  in  the  vicinity.  On 
our  return,  a  steamer  was  leaving  Massowah  for  Suez,  which  we  could 
only  catch  by  taking  the  same  camels  on  to  the  coast.  Our  Shaggyeh 
drivers  objected,  saying  the  road  to  the  sea  was  out  of  their  country,  and 
their  camels  were  tired  —  perfectly  valid  excuses.  We  offered  them  half 
as  much  again  as  the  proper  fare,  but  they  still  demurred,  fearing  that 
the  Governor  of  Massowah  would  take  their  camels,  make  tiieni  carry  for 
the  Government,  and  probably  never  pay  them.  On  obtaining  a  letter 
for  the  Bey  at  Senheit  (Ferratch),  asking  (as  we  fondly  imagined)  Ala- 
ed-Deen,  who  was  at  that  time  Governor  of  Massowah,  to  let  them  go 
free,  tliey  consented  to  accompany  us.  On  our  arrival  we  presented  the 
letter,  wliich,  we  found,  merely  stated  that  the  garrison  of  Senheit  was 
in  want  of  salt,  and  that  he  had  better  load  up  the  camels  with  some,  and 
return  them  to  him."  —  Ed. 
11  Appendix  Q. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  181 

horses,  sheep,  goats,  donkeys,  of  the  Shaggyehs, 
who  have  come  up  from  Halfeyeh,  &c. 

I  confess  I  am  more  perplexed  about  these  arrests 
than  I  like;  is  it  a  good  thing?  or  is  it  not?  If  I 
could  be  sure  that  the  majority  wished  to  go  to  the 
Mahdi,  I  could  make  up  my  mind  at  once  what  to 
do  ;  it  would  be  an  immense  relief  to  me,  but  does 
the  mass  wish  it  ?  If  they  do  not,  I  ought  to  take 
all  precautions  against  such  an  event.  Then  comes 
the  query.  Am  I  not,  in  these  arrests,  being  made 
a  tool  of  by  the  Turkish  and  Cairo  elements  ?  Are 
they  not  gratifying  spites  ?  Paul  said,  "  /  have 
learned "  (as  in  a  school)  "  in  lohatsoever  state  I 
am  to  he  content."  I  can  only  say,  "  I  am  learn- 
ing," hut  have  "  not  learned" 

No  sign  this  evening  in  Faki  Mustapha's  camp  of 
the  arrival  of  the  Mahdi. 

Heavy  thunderstorm  and  rain  this  evening,  which 
will  be  made  out  by  the  proselytes  of  Mahomet 
Achmet  as  a  proof  of  his  divine  pretensions.  It  is 
rather  bad  for  our  mines. 

Octoher  15th.  —  No  spies  in  —  everything  quiet. 
Some  begin  to  doubt  if  Mahdi  is  so  near. 

People  say  I  must  have  some  news  of  relief,  other- 
wise I  would  not  have  made  the  arrest  of  Mudir, 
Cadi,  and  Sheikh  el  Islam,  &c.,  &c. 

I  see  there  was  a  total  eclipse  of  the  moon  on  4th 
October,  and  there  is  a  partial  eclijDse  of  .the  sun  on 
the  18-19th  October. 

I  reason  thus  respecting  the  arrests  :  if  the  people 
really  want  to  go  over  to  the .  Mahdi,  it  will  make 


182  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

no  difference  beyond  hastening  tlie  event ;  if  they  do 
not  want  to  go  to  the  Mahdi,  it  will  make  no  differ- 
ence. If  there  is  a  minority  to  go  to  the  Mahdi,  the 
arrests  have  upset  their  plans,  at  any  rate  for  a 
time.  To  my  idea,  these  people  were  only  hedging^ 
in  order  to  be  prepared  for  all  contingencies. 

Mahomed  Pasha  Plassan,  who  is  a  barometer  of 
fear,  approves  of  the  step  —  so  I  hear  in  an  indi- 
rect way :  —  of  course  every  body  approves  of  it,  if 
ashed  by  me,  for  fear  of  their  own  arrest. 

1  had  to  make  three  more  arrests  —  when  once 
one  begins  this  detestable  practice,  one  never  can 
stop.  As  far  as  I  can  judge  the  mass  of  people  ap- 
prove of  the  arrests.  I  am  now  going  on  the  prin- 
ciple "in  for  a  penny,  in  for  a  pound."  Wilfrid 
Blunt  will  make  a  nice  row  about  this.  It  is  very 
odd  we  have  had  no  one  in  from  the  Arabs  for  two 
days.  Glad  to  say  I  found  out  one  arrest  not  just, 
and  have  let  the  man  out. 

Jeremiah  was  arrested  over  and  over  again,  and 
let  out  by  King  Zedekiah.  I  wonder  how  any  man 
can  possibly  wish  to  enjoy  despotic  power  :  he  can 
never  be  happy  or  comfortable  if  he  has  any  pre- 
tensions to  a  conscience. 

2  P.  M,  —  Six  flags  appeared  at  Faki  Mustapha's 
camp.  Report  in  town  says  the  Mahdi  is  at  his 
Isle  of  Abba,  160  miles  up  White  Nile,  attending  to 
the  circumcision  of  his  son  (poor  little  fellow).  I 
hope  it  is  Unie,  for  it  will  give  us  ten  days'  respite. 
He  may  also  have  another  dream  there,  which  will 
tell  him  not  to  come  to  Kartoum,  or  he  may  per- 
suade his  followers  to  have  one  to  same  effect. 
What  a  comfort !  ! ! 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  183 

The  Malicli  will  make  it  an  excuse  that  he  came 
for  this  circmiicision  from  Kordofan  to  Abba  Isl- 
and   (where    he    I'eceived  his    first    revelation    that 

he  was  the  3Iahdi),  if  he  sees  things  go  against 
him.i2 

3  p.  M.  —  The  six  flags  at  Faki  Mustapha's  camp 
have  increased  to  ten  (gathering  of  waters).  We 
have  just  completed  our  concentration  of  forces,  and 
the  steamers  have  just  come  in  from  their  last  trip 
from  Halfeyeh.  We  may  now  be  said  to  be  in 
fighting  trim,  close  hauled.  Small  steamer  Husseln- 
yeh  will  be  completed  to-morrow,  I  hope. 

6.30  p.  M.  —  Horsemen  riding  to  and  fro  in  Faki 
Mustapha's  camp.  A  letter  has  come  in  with  two 
men  from  Slatin.  Have  received  the  letter,  and 
send  back  the  men  who  brought  it,  at  once.  "  You 
must  remember,"  says  England,  "  that  when  you  en- 
tered my  service,  I  bought  you,  as  far  as  your  body 
was  concerned,  giving  you  at  first  5s.  3c?.  per  diem, 
when  no  one  else  would  have  given  you  Is.,  giving 
you  also  a  beautiful  plumage  and  the  entree  jpartout. 
You  have  advanced  now  to  higher  pay,  but  on  same 
terms  (your  whole  life  and  body).  You  can  never 
say  you  have  done  more  than  your  duty.  If  you  do 
not  do  it  you  break  your  word,  and  if  you  do  it  you 
merely  fulfil  your  contract,  and  have  no  claim  on 
me." 

The  two  men  who  came  in  with  the  letter  of  Slatin 
were  one    Arab    and  one    slave.     The    latter  ques- 

12  The  Mahdi  declared  that  the  Archangel  Gabriel  had  twice  ap- 
peared to  him  and  commanded  him  to  unsheathe  the  sword  of  faith  in 
order  to  reform  the  bad  Moslem  and  to  found  a  Mussulman  Empire 
which  would  be  followed  by  universal  peace.  — Ed. 


184  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

tioned  (apart)  says  that  the  report  is  that  the  Mahdi 
will  come  in  two  days  to  Omdurman  ;  that  he  has 
not  been  seen  ;  that  the  regular  soldiers  have  gone 
back  to  Kordofan  ;  and  that  Falci  Musta-pha  told 
him  (the  slave)  to  frighten  the  Kartouoners.  I  am 
hoping  the  Mahdi  will  prove  a  bogie  ! 

Steamers  Bordeen  and  Ismailia  went  down  be- 
low Merowe  to-day,  and  saw  no  Arabs  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Nile. 

The  quietude  of  Sheikh  el  Obeyed's  forces  is  cu- 
rious, for  they  have  twice  beaten  us,  with  heavy  loss^ 
though  they  have  been  beaten  by  us,  with  loss,  at 
other  times,  but  in  minor  engagements. 

I  begin  to  get  over  my  disquietude  in  re  the  ar- 
rests ;  from  what  I  hear,  I  thiidc  public  opinion  is 
not  dissatisfied ;  but  really  it  was  a  strong  measure 
to  arrest  Sheikh  el  Islam,  Cadi,  and  Mudir,  and  six- 
teen others,  and  that  without  turning  the  two  former 
out  of  their  employ. 

A  lot  of  people  were  pressing  for  harder  measures, 
but  my  new  chief  clerk  said  "  we  would  wish  to 
leave  it  to  you  to  do  or  not  to  do,"  which  is  lively, 
as  I  am  innocent  of  what  goes  on,  or  who  is  a  traitor, 
or  who  is  not ;  if  ever  there  was  a  happy-go-lucky 
government,  it  is  this  in  Kartoum.  I  declare  that, 
sometimes,  I  give  a  decision,  and  have  no  more  idea 
of  what  the  decision  is  about  than  a  cow ;  these,  how- 
ever, are  exceptional  cases.  I  have  had  about  six 
bad  slips  in  ten  years,  not  more,  and  these  I  have 
managed  to  rectify,  with  loss  of  prestige.  Slatin  is 
not  with  Faki  Mustapha,  so  says  the  slave.  What 
liars  these  spies  are  ! 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  185 

If  in  two  days  I  find  the  news  correct  that  the 
Mahdi  is  still  in  Kordofan,  I  shall  let  out  all  the 
political  prisoners  (which  will  shock  the  townspeo- 
ple), but  will  be  true  joy  and  delight  to  me,  for  it 
has  been  a  work  utterly  repugnant  to  me.  I  like 
free  will  (we  left  God  with  our  oicn  free  loill,  we 
must  return  with  our  ow7i  free  will).  I  hate  a 
forced  subjection,  and  I  feel  sure  that  to  let  these 
people  out,  with  free  will  to  go  to  the  Arabs  or  not, 
will  be  good  policy.  I  must  say  that  I  feel  it  a 
great  compliment,  when  my  counsellors  say  to  me, 
"  Do  ichat  you  thi7ik  right,  irrespective  of  our  ad- 
vice,^'' lohen  they  Tcnow  I  am  ignorant  of  all  that 
goes  on,  ignorant  of  the  Arabic  language,  except  in 
my  style,  ignorant  of  the  Arah  customs,  ^c,  ^c. 
"  You  ivill  do  better  than  we  do,^''  is  what  they  say, 
and  /,  i^oor  Devil,  do  not  hnow  lohere  to  turn.  Oh ! 
our  Government,  our  Government  !  what  has  it  not 
to  answer  for  ?  Not  to  me,  but  to  these  poor  people. 
I  declare  if  I  thought  the  town  wished  the  Mahdi,  I 
would  give  it  up :  so  much  do  I  respect  free  will.^^ 

October  16.  — The  letters  of  Slatin  have  arrived. •''* 
I  have  no  remarks  to  make  on  them,  and  cannot 
make  out  why  he  wrote  them. 

Heavy  rain  last  night,  I  expect  there  is  an  end  to 
the  vitality  of  our  mines,  and  we  have  now  no  more 
matches  to  renew  them. 

13  The  action  of  Her  JIajesty's  Government  had  now  raised  the  ques- 
tion in  General  Goidon's  mind  as  to  whether  tie  was  justified  in  punish- 
ing any  of  the  inliabitants  of  Kartoum  who  were  heihjinrj  with  tlie  Mahdi. 
He  was  almost  disposed  to  let  them  hedge  if  it  gave  them  a  better  chance 
of  their  lives.  —  Ed. 

1*  Ap[jendix  R. 


186  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

No  spies  in,  no  Arabs  visible  outside  their  camp : 
it  is  pretty  certain  that  the  Mahdi  has  not  come  to 
Omdiirman. 

The  Austrian  Consul  ^^  has  asked  me  to  let  him 
write  to  Slatin,  and  to  allow  him  to  give  him  (Slatin) 
an  interview  on  the  lines,  which  I  have  agreed  to 
and  sent  out.  Slatin's  letter  to  Hansall  was  quite 
in  a  different  tone  to  the  one  he  wrote  to  me.  What 
astounding  lies  those  spies  have  told  about  the  Mahdi 
and  his  heterogeneous  staff  being  close  here. 

Noon.  —  Two  spies  came  in,  one  from  Sheikh  el 
Obeyed,  one  from  Kordofan.  The  latter  says  the 
Mahdi  is  not  coming  to  Kartoum,  but  has  been  re- 
called to  Obeyed  on  account  of  the  advance  of  ex- 
peditionary force  ;  that  the  Mahdi  has  withdrawn  all 
the  regulars  captured  here  and  there  from  our  vicin- 
ity to  Kordofan  ;  that  a  lot  of  the  Arabs  he  forced 
to  come  with  hmi  have  deserted  him.  That  is  about 
all ;  one  feels  disinclined  to  write  these  histories, 
which  are  contradicted  a  few  days  afterwards.  Cer- 
tainly the  Arabs  are  very  quiet,  and  one  does  not 
see  many  about.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  let  out  the 
prisoners  on  New  Year's  Day  of  Arab  year  1302, 
which  is  on  21st  October.  I  shall  make  Ferratch 
Pasha  do  the  honours  of  the  day ;  I  cannot  stand 
these  pageants.  A  woman  came  in  from  the  Dem 
on  the  South  Lines  ;  she  says  a  few  days  ago  there 
was  a  regular  panic  caused  by  report  of  troops  hav- 
ing captiired  Katarif  ;  half  the  Arabs  went  south- 
ward. However  the  report  was  contradicted  and 
they  have  come  back. 

^"  Hansall.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  187 

Slatin's  letter  to  Austrian  Consul  contains  the  re- 
mark that  "  if  he  comes  over  to  me  I  must  promise 
9ever  to  surrender  the  city,  as  he  would  then  suffer 
terrible  tortures  and  death.  He  evidently  is  not  a 
Spartan ;  he  also  says  that  "  he  changed  his  religion 
because  he  had  not  had  much  attention  paid  to  his 
religious  belief  when  young."  If  he  gets  away  I 
shall  take  him  to  the  Congo  with  me ;  he  will  want 
some  quarantine  ;  one  feels  sorry  for  him. 

Slatin  says  there  is  a  rumour  that  a  boat  of  Stew- 
art's expedition,  down  Nile,  was  captured  by  Arabs 
at  the  Cataract  Dar  Djumna,  below  Abou  Hamed, 
but  he  doubts  its  truth ;  this,  in  his  letter  to  the 
Consul. 

The  Arabs  have  not  occupied  Halfeyeh.  The 
Shaggy  eh  are  pulling  down  Goba  and  Hogali,  the 
village  opposite  the  Palace.  The  village  of  Omdur- 
man  is  levelled.  The  little  steamer  Husseinyeh  is 
finished  and  armed,  and  will  go  up  against  the  Arabs 
(her  virgin  trip)  on  Saturday  morning.  They  have 
put  a  little  lion  as  figure-head  to  it. 

Fancy  post-office  officials  (of  all  people),  who  have 
done  literally  nothing  for  seven  months  (not  being 
able  to  do  anything),  asking  for  increase  of  pay !  ! 
These  people  have  no  conscience.  There  were  very 
few  Arabs  to  be  seen  on  South  Front  this  day,  and 
few  were  seen  going  to  Giraffe.  At  Faki  Mustapha 
there  also  seems  no  numbers,  in  spite  of  the  great 
array  of  grass  huts  erected  for  the  Mahdi.  Report 
in  town  says  that  the  Arabs  in  Kordofan  say  the 
Mahdi  is  all  fudge,  and  that  they  are  robbed  more 
now  under  his  name  than  before,  when  they  were 
under  the  Government. 


188  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Eeport  says  the  Mahdi  sent  to  Sheikh  el  Obeyed 
(the  man  not  the  city^  to  tell  him  to  come  to  Obeyed 
(the  city  not  the  viari),  and  devote  himself  to  God's 
service  as  a  Dervish.  The  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  (the 
man  not  the  city^  ^^  does  not  see  it,  for  he  is  very 
rich  (I  know  it  is  a  horrid  nuisance  these  names,  but 
I  did  not  give  them).  It  would  be  a  charity  to  exe- 
cute the  man,  for  those  who  are  perplexed,  and  end 
the  difficulty.     We  cannot  execute  the  city. 

October  17.  —  Church  parade  at  minimum:  that 
at  Faki  Mustapha's  Dem  some  400  :  that  at  South 
Front  not  more  than  a  1000. 

Mr.  Gladstone  has  a  rival  up  here  in  shirt  collars : 
Mohamed  Bey  Ibrahim  appeared 
to-day  with  regular  wings  rather 
ragged,  his  collars  up  to  his  ears, 
regular  orthodox  patterns. 

I  am  sending  the  Bordeen  and 
Husseinyeh  up  the  White  Nile  to 
reconnoitre,  and  the  horsemen  out 
tov/ards  Giraffe  and  Halfeyeh. 

I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  Slatin's  coming 
in  here  to  stay,  unless  he  has  the  Mahdi's  positive 
leave,  which  he  is  not  likely  to  get :  his  doing  so 
would  be  the  breaking  of  his  parole,  which  should 
be  as  sacred  when  given  to  the  Mahdi  as  to  any 
other  power,  and  it  would  jeopardise  the  safety  of 
all  those  Europeans,  prisoners  with  Mahdi.^' 

According  to  all  accounts,  the  Cataract  at  Dar 

16  These  distinctions  are  in  satirical  allusion  to  some  mistake  made  at 
the  Foreign  Office.  —  Ed. 

1^  Appendix  S. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  189 

Djiimna  below  Abou  Haraed  is  a  very  small  one,  so 
I  am  in  hopes  it  is  a  false  rumour  that  we  have  lost 
the  boat.  A  slave  came  from  Faki  Mustapha,  say- 
ing the  Mahdi  is  at  Jura  Hadra,  his  people  suffer- 
ing from  sickness  :  many  have  gone  back  to  Kor- 
dofan.  All  regulars  have  gone  back,  they  have 
little  grain,  and  peoj^le  are  discontented  ;  this  man 
brought  his  riile  in  with  him.  219  days  to-day  we 
have  been  boxed  up ;  four  of  the  principal  men 
were  allowed  to  be  prisoners  in  their  houses,  one  of 
these  allowed  a  man  to  come  to  him  and  bribe  the 
sentry  with  two  dollars :  this  man  was  whipped  off 
to  the  prison  at  once.  The  Sheikh  el  Islam  let  two 
women  come,  to  him :  he  was  only  threatened.  We 
caught  a  man  going  over  to  the  Arabs  to-day ;  he 
had  under  his  ordinary  costume  the  dervish  dress. 
If  Zubair  was  here  he  would  take  off  heads  I  feel 
sure.  I  content  myself  with  fearful  threats,  which 
they  know  are  nothing. 

October  18.  —  The  cavalry  went  out  towards  Gi- 
raffe, and  captured  five  female  slaves !  and  killed 
three  Arabs,  who  resisted  their  being  taken.  I  own 
I  do  not  feel  satisfied  with  the  killing  of  these  men, 
but  I  suppose  it  is  war :  we  lost  none.  The  captive 
ladies  had  little  to  say  more  than  the  Arabs  had  two 
guns  at  Giraffe. 

The  Bordeen  and  Husseinyeh  went  up  the  White 
Nile ;  saw  no  Arabs  at  first,  but  coming  back  Arabs 
got  down  two  guns  and  opened  fire ;  they  killed  one 
man  and  wounded  another.  I  had  warned  these 
steamers  distinctly  to  keep  in  the  middle  of  river, 


190  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

and  not  to  go  near  the  banks.  The  casualties  were 
from  musketry.  Arabs  fired  fifteen  rounds  (gun), 
Husse'myeh  fired  ten  rounds  (gun),  Bordeen  fired 
ten  rounds  (gun).  I  have  stopped  these  steamers 
going  up  the  White  Nile  for  the  future.  The  officer 
is  entirely  responsible  for  the  death  of  this  man,  for 
I  had  given  orders  that,  even  if  they  saw  cattle  or 
boats,  they  were  not  to  be  enticed  to  the  banks  to 
get  them.  I  never  will  believe  in  ships  against  land 
batteries,  unless  troops  are  landed,  for  tinless  a 
steamer  can  get  close  alongside  a  battery,  the  bat- 
tery will  hold  its  own. 

October  19.  —  This  morning,  in  spite  of  my  orders 
not  to  leave  the  lines,  Bourre  must  needs  send  out 
men,  and  the  consequence  was  that  I  have  a  Bim- 
bashi  and  six  men  wounded  ;  however  I  think  I  have 
stopped  these  excursions  for  the  future.  The  cavalry 
went  out  from  the  North  Fort  to  Halfeyeh,  and  saw 
no  one,  and  captured  a  cow  ! 

I  hope  it  will  be  remembered  that  with  respect  to 
white  troops  (fellaheen)  on  board  the  now  four 
steamers  at  Metemma,  I  make  you  a  handsome 
present  of  them  (officers  and  all),  and  request  that 
if  you  use  the  steamers  you  will  disembark  those 
men  and  take  them  on  your  list,  for  we  never  wish 
to  see  them  (and  to  have  to  feed  them)  up  here 
again.  You  will  he  carrying  out  the  evacuation 
policy  1 1 1  If  you  do  not  use  the  steamers,  please 
send  them  back  empty  of  these  fellaheen  troojos^  but 
send  me  their  rifles.  You  will  soon  have  a  fine  con- 
tingent? for  I  have  everything  ready  for  a  general 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  191 

discharge  of  Cairo  debris  (Baslii  Bazouks,  &c., 
&e.),  the  moment  I  hear  you  are  really  at  Berber  ; 
I  shall  not  wait  to  ask  your  leave,  for  I  have  had 
enough  of  the  debris  up  here,  and  you  can  feed  them 
better  than  we  can  ;  *at  any  rate.,  they  tcill  be  off  my 
hands,  and  on  yours.  I  hope  it  will  be  an  under- 
stood thing  that  every  Egyptian  soldier  you  find  be- 
longs to  yoiij  and  that  you  will  not  send  him  back 
to  me.  I  nobly  present  you  irith  them  all.,  and 
then,  besides  that,  you  have  the  glory  of  living  rep- 
resentatives of  your  rescuing  expedition.  I  object 
and  protest  against  (when  once  Egyptian  soldiers 
come  into  your  lines)  your  returning  them  to  Kar- 
toum.  As  for  their  pay,  &c.,  as  far  as  I  have  been 
able  to  order,  it  ought  to  be  quite  clear  what  is  owed 
them.  I  have  given  orders  enough  about  that  sub- 
ject, as  Stewart  knows.  I  include  officers  as  well  as 
men.  I  want  to  see  them  no  more.  Pray  attend 
to  this  request !  ^^ 

The  Talataween  came  in  this  evening  from  Shen- 
dy  ;  reports  Seyd  Mahomet  Osnian  has  come  to  Gros 
Eageb  with  English  troops.  English  troops  are 
coming  from  Debbeh  by  Nile,  and  have  passed  Abou 
Hamed.  Arabs  captured  two  boats  of  Stewart's 
expedition,  by  means  of  the  captured  steamer  Fas- 
cAer,  above  Abou  Hamed,  which  our  steamers  had 
seen  getting  up  steam  :  vide  my  Journal.  I  had  a 
feeling  about  this  that  when  the  steamers  had  seen 

J8  There  is  a  good-natured,  and  half  playful  ring  about  these  orders, 
but  the  fact  must  not  be  overlooked  that  they  are  distinct  commands. 
General  Gordon,  while  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan,  had  the  right 
to  issue  orders  to  anyone  in  the  Soudan,  and  no  one  was  more  cognizant 
of  this  right  than  he.  —  Ed. 


192  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

the  Arab  steamer  Fascher  getting  up  steam  they 
ought  to  have  staid  and  tried  to  pi-event  the  pursuit. 
The  Arabs  have  a  gun  at  Shendy,  which  came  from 
Berber.  The  English  troops  are  only  two  days  dis- 
tant from  Berber.  The  steamers  had  twenty-five 
wounded,  they  collected  eleven  prisoners,  and  cap- 
tured four  boats.  One  of  our  men  was  killed.  The 
Towfikia  lost  none  on  going  down.  I  am  sending 
down  the  Bordeen  and  Talataween  the  day  after  to- 
morrow to  Shendy,  with  order  to  leave  one  steamer 
at  Shendy,  and  go  on  with  the  other  four  to  Berber, 
and  to  remain  in  its  neighbourhood.  The  Man- 
sowrah  will  stay  at  Shendy,  and  the  Talataween^ 
Bordeen,  Sajihia,  and  Toiofikia  wiU  go  towards 
Berber.  I  shall  keep  the  Ismail ia  and  Husseinyeh 
here. 

Statement  of  Troops,  Arms,  Ammuxition,  Grain,  &c.,  in 
Kartoum,  19th  October,  1884. 


No.  of  Black  Troops,  Regulars 
A  White     . 

B  Cairo  Bashi  Bazouks 

Shaggyeh 

Townspeople  enrolled 

Total 


2316 
1421 
1906 
2330 

692 

• 

8665' 


A  and  B  will  be  sent  to  Berber  as  soon  as  it  Is  possible  to 
find  transport,  and  as  soon  as  you  get  to  Berber. 

No.  of  Guns  upon  Lines        ...  12 

Steamers    .....  11 

Rounds  Gun  Ammunition     .         .         .  21,141 

"       Small  Arms,  Remington            .  2,165,000 

"      Arsenal  turns  out  weekly          .  40,000 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  193 

Amount  of  Grain  and  Biscuit  in  Magazine. 

Grain Ardebs        4,018 

Biscuit  .         .         .         .        .        Okes        349,000 
Weekly  consumption  of  Troops     Ardebs  500 

No.  of  Steamers    ......         7 

Private  Boats 58 

Government  Boats      ....       53 

Money  in  Specie £2,900 

Paper £39,195 

October  ^Oth.  —  Here  is  a  summary  o£  reports 
brought  by  the  Talataween,  which  left  Shendy  four 
days  ago.  The  Ahhas  went  down  to  Hagar  Homar 
with  her  four  boats.  She  was  pursued  by  the  Fas- 
cJier.,  which  captured  two  of  her  boats,  with  twelve 
Greeks.  The  Ahhas  turned  and  fired  two  cannon 
shots  at  the  Fascher.,  which  retired,  and  the  Ahhas 
went  on  her  way  and  was  seen  no  more.  She  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  attacked  by  Arabs  below  Abou 
Hamed  and  drove  off  attack,  killing  seventy-two 
Arabs ;  the  Greeks  captured  in  the  two  boats  were 
not  hurt  by  the  Arabs.  When  the  Ahhas  got  to 
Debbeh  the  troops  advanced  towards  Berber.  Three 
distinct  parties  moving  on  Berber  :  one  through  the 
desert  of  Korosko  (the  Arabs  have  put  1500  men 
and  a  gun  at  Abou  Hamed) ;  one  from  Merow^  to 
Berber  across  the  desert  (making  forts  at  inter- 
vals) ;  and  one  with  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman  down 
the  Atbara  valley  towards  El  Damer  (which  place  is 
at  the  junction  of  the  Atbara  with  the  Nile)  assisted 
by  Awad  Kerim.  The  steamers  have  been  bombard- 
id 


194  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

ing  Metemma  and  Shendy,  I  expect  with  no  great 
effect. 

To-day  came  in  from  Waled  a  Goun  two  men 
and  three  women.  They  say  the  Mahdi  is  opposite 
Kalakla,  *.  e.  within  two  miles  of  Kartoum ;  few 
people  with  him ;  those  who  came  with  him  from 
Kordofan  have,  in  great  part,  gone  back. 

In  yesterday's  skirmish  the  Arabs  lost  two  men 
in  the  steamer  fight ;  the  day  before  they  lost  more. 
Waled  a  Goun  has  sent  his  family  to  Gitana ;  many 
are  deserting. 

An  officer  and  sergeant  have  escaped  and  come 
into  Omdurman. 

They  say  that  the  Arabs  of  Berber  were  warned 
by  some  one  in  the  town  of  the  descent  of  the 
Abbas.  I  have  ordered  th^  sale  of  200  ardebs  of 
dhoora  on  the  strength  of  this  news.  A  man  who 
was  at  Berber,  on  board  one  of  the  captured  steam- 
ers, says  Ferratch  Pasha!  and  other  officers  have 
sent  news  to  the  Arabs,  and  that  the  Arab  chief  of 
Berber  wrote  to  Cassim  el  Mousse,  proposing  he 
should  kill  me,  which  Cassim  el  Mousse  refused  to 
do.  This  Mahomet  el  Khair  is  a  true  cur,  for  I 
have  ever  treated  him  well.  I  expect  if  the  truth 
was  known  very  few  notables  or  officials  have  not 
been  hedging  with  the  Arabs. 

The  Shaggyeh  on  the  opposite  side  are  yelling; 
on  enquiring  find  it  is  for  dhoora ;  they  have  had 
their  month's  rations  and  the  month  is  not  up.  I 
went  to  the  telegraph  office  and  told  them  that  "  till 
the  month  was  up  I  would  give  them  none,  but 
that  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  had  plenty,  and  that  if 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  195 

they  liked  they  could  go  to  him ; "  no  answer  was 
given  to  this  telegram. 

The  officer  and  sergeant  who  came  in  at  Omdur- 
man  say  the  Mahdi  with  all  Europeans,  Hassan 
Khalifa,  Saleh  Pasha,  and  that  Frenchman  are  op- 
posite Kalakla,  and  that  he  means  coming  to  Om- 
durman,  that  the  Arabs  are  not  in  good  heart. 

The  Saphia  and  the  llansoiorah  ought  to  have 
laid  off  Berber,  and  prevented  the  exit  of  the  Fas- 
cJier  when  the  Abbas  went  down,  but  I  expect  they 
only  cared  to  come  back  here.  I  am  much  put  out 
at  the  loss  of  those  two  boats.  What  one  has  felt 
so  much  here  is  the  want  of  men  like  Gessi,  or 
Massodaglia,  or  Slatin ;  but  I  have  had  no  one  to 
whom  I  could  entrust  expeditions  like  that.  Ida 
sincerely  hope  all  Egyptians  and  Turks  or  Circas- 
sian officers  and  men  may  he  taken  out  of  the 
steamers  and  kept  by  you  ;  it  looidd  be  too  bad  to 
send  them  back  to  me.  I  do  not  mean  the  captains 
or  engineers  of  steamers.  Twenty -two  wounded 
men  were  brought  to  the  hospital  (four  were  grave- 
ly wounded)  from  Shendy  steamer.  I  wish  you  to 
take  command  of  steamers,  but  do  not  let  any 
Khedwal  authonty  do  so,  for  he  will  certainly  be 
bribed  to  let  bach  the  Egyptians.  Please  acknowl- 
edge the  receipt  of  the  Journal,  of  which  this  is 
Vol.  IV.  As  far  as  my  experience  goes,  there  are 
not  more  contemptible  troops,  officers  and  men, 
than  the  Egyptians,  so  beware  of  them ;  and,  with 
scarcely  an  exception,  all  Turks  and  Circassians  in 
Egyptian  employ  are  emasculated. 

I  have  prepared  to  clear  out  of  the  Palace,  and 


196  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

have  five  houses  ready  for  occupation.  I  hope  Cuz- 
zi's  baggage  will  be  searched,  for  I  feel  sure  he  is 
a  traitor.  A  slave  came  in  this  evening  from  Waled 
a  Goun  with  the  usual  story  of  the  near  approach 
of  the  Mahdi ;  that  Arabs  want  food  ;  that  regu- 
lars mean  to  desert  when  they  get  an  opportunity. 
With  the  reiterated  request  that  I  may  not  have 
any  Egyptians^  Turks^  or  Circassians  sent  hack  to 
me,!  end  this  Journal. 

C.  G.  Gordon. 
20/10/84. 

The  sunset  to-night  ends  the  year  1301,  and  be- 
gins 1302. 


BOOK  V. 


On  outside  wrapper  (handkerchief) : 

EVENTS  AT  KARTOUM. 

20th  Oct.  to  6th  Nov.,  1884. 

General  Gordon's  Journal,  Vol.  V. 

The  Chief  of  the  Staff  of  Expeditionary  Force  for  the 

Relief  of  the  Garrisons. 

No  secrets  as  far  as  I  am  concerned. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 


On  cover : 

EVENTS  AT  KARTOUM. 

20th  Oct.  to  5th  Nov.,  1884. 

General  Gordon's  Journal,  Vol.  V. 

To  be  pruned  down,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 


On  inside : 

General  Gordon's  Journal, 

From  20th  October  to  5th  November,  1884, 

EVENTS  IN   KARTOUM. 

The  Chief  of  Staff  of  Expeditionary  Force  for  Relief  of 

Garrison. 

VOL.  V, 
To  be  pruned  down,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 


JOURNAL. 


October  21.  —  Steamers  left  this  morning  for 
Shandy.  To-day  is  New  Year's  Day  of  the  Arabs, 
1302.  I  think  the  Mahdi  speculated  on  a  rising  in 
the  town,  but  that  the  arrests^  have  put  him  out  in 
his  calculations. 

New  Year's  gift  this  morning,  in  arrival  of  Mahdi 
at  Omdurman.  Not  much  display.  It  is  reported 
that  he  will  occupy  Merowd  and  Halfeyeh  at  once ; 
so  it  is  as  well  I  got  the  steamers  off  before  he  got 
his  guns  down  to  river  bank.  They  will  be  safe  with 
you,^  and  very  useful. 

Two  men  came  in  from  Saleh  Bey  of  Galabat  with 
the  post.  They  were  thirty-two  days  en  route. 
They  brought  a  letter  from  Mitzakis,  the  Greek 
Consul,  from  Adowa,  dated  17th  August  (which  told 
me  as  much,  or  more,  than  Kitchener's  letter  of  31st 
August!).^  Saleh  Bey  is  all  right;  he  has  been 
attacked.  Spies  say  the  small  steamer  Mahovfiet 
Ali,  captured  by  the  Arabs,  is  now  on  the  Blue  Nile, 
at  Abou  Haraz.     Sennaar  is  all  right. 

1  The  arrests  of  tlie  Mudir,  Cadi,  Sheikh  el  Islam,  &c.,  who  were  sup- 
posed to  be  in  communication  with  the  Mahdi.  — Ed. 

2  /.  e.,  Chief  of  Expeditionary  Force.  —  Ed. 
8  Appendix  Q. 


200  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Mitzakis  writes  to  the  Greek  Consul  here  to  say 
that  a  treaty  has  been  made  between  Her  Majesty's 
Government  and  Abyssinia,  to  give  Abyssinia  Kas- 
sala,  Galabat,  Katarlf,  and  Bogos!  and  that  the 
King  is  preparing  an  army  to  go  and  take  posses- 
sion.^ What  an  action.  These  lands  (except  Bogos) 
are  entirely  Mussulman,  have  held  their  own,  and 
are  in  no  way  threatened,  and  w'e  go  and  send  a  wild 
so-called  Christian  people  (who  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  quarrel)  against  these  peoples,  who  have 
held  their  own  against  the  Mahdi. 

October  22.  — I  wonder  what  Saleh  Bey  of  Gala- 
bat  will  say  to  this  cession,  after  he  has  been  fighting 
for  me.  Also  what  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman  will  say 
after  all  his  trouble. 

I  can  now  see  why  I  was  kept  in  the  dark. 

In  one  of  Saleh  Bey's  letters  he  says  he  sends  me 
a  letter  from  King  John.  This  I  have  not  got ;  it 
apparently  was  not  sent. 

A  man  came  in  with  letter  from  Slatin,  in  which 
he  says  the  Ahbas  was  captured  near  -Dar  Djumna. 
Stewart  killed,  with  nine  men,  and  all  the  papers 
captured.^ 

Three  soldiers  escaped  yesterday  from  the  Arabs. 
Seven  more  came  in  to-day ;  they  had  no  news. 
Mahdi  and  all  Europeans  are  four  hours  distant. 
Mahdi  has  put  Saleh  Pasha  (of  Shaggyeh)  in 
chains. 

Twenty-six  goats  came  kindly  into  lines  to-day. 

I  am  very  anxious  about  the  Abbas  ;  it  would  be 
terrible,  if  it  is  true,  that  she  is  captured. 

*  Appendix  Q.  5  Appendix  R. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  201 

The  cut  out  pages  are,  or  rather  were,  a  tirade 
against  the  cession  of  Kassala,^  &c.,  &c.,  but  as  they 
would  be  no  use  now  I  have  cut  them  out. 

I  believe  Government  can,  nowadays,  get  men  to 
do  anything  by  means  of  money  and  honours  (not 
honour)^  and  I  have  a  shrewd  idea  of  how  this  af- 
fair will  end  up  here.  However,  it  is  not  my  affair, 
and  I  have  taken  my  decision. 

Kitchener  to  Chermside.  —  "  He  is  furious  about 
that  admirable  treaty  of  Hewitt's.  Fortunate  I  did 
not  tell  him  about  it.  He  has  the  Mahdi  alongside 
now,  and  can  vent  his  spleen  on  him.  We  have  got 
his  steamers  all  but  two,  and  need  not  care."  '* 

Admirable  treaty,  let  us  think  —  yes,  spread  of 
Christianity,  regular  missionary  movement,  ancient 
Christian  Church  and  people.  .  .  .  !  get  me  up  a 
precis  of  this  history  of  Abyssinia,  but  not  that  part 
of  Bruce  which  speaks  of  ravages  committed  by  the 
Abyssinian  army  on  the  march.  Hewitt,  charmed 
with  Plis  Majesty,  calls  the  Queen  his  mother,  &c. 
Now,  if  we  can  only  get  that  Mahdi  to  make  a 
treaty  we  are  safe  for  six  months.  Enough  for  the 
day  is  its  evil.  I  declare  I  am  becoming  a  mission- 
ary myself  with  my  quotations  and  acts. 

Graham  would  be  angry  if  I  criticised  his  de- 
spatch, which  Slatin  sent  me.  The  Raiimer  ^  seems 
an  excellent  weapon. 

6  Eight  pages  of  the  diary  were  cut  out.  — Ed. 

■^  General  Gordon  has  just  stated  that  a  letter  received  from  the  Greek 
Consul,  dated  17th  of  August,  contained  more  news  than  one  he  re- 
ceived, dated  31st  of  August,  from  an  officer  in  Her  Majesty's  service. 
He  then  goes  on  to  say  he  sees  now  (i.  c.  after  reading  the  Greek  Con- 
sul's letter)  why  he  was  kept  in  the  dark.  — Ed. 

*  Sir  Gerald  Graham's  despatch.  — Ed. 


202  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

October  22.  —  It  is  suspected  that  the  two  men 
who  came  in  with  letters  from  Saleh  Bey  of  Galabat 
are  spies  of  the  Mahcli,  into  whose  hands  has  fallen 
the  letter  King  John  wrote  to  me ;  these  men  came 
in  a  very  circuitous  way  from  the  direction  of  the 
Mahdi's  camp. 

Another  soldier  and  a  slave  came  in  from  the 
Arabs  just  now. 

Kins:  John  and  the  Mahdi  both  force  men  to 
change  their  religion;  both  cut  off  lips  of  smokers 
and  noses  of  snuffers  ;  both  are  fanatics  and  robbers.^ 

If  the  Mahdi  has  got  King  John's  letter  to  me, 
he  knows  all  about  the  famous,  or  rather  infamous, 
Hewitt  Treaty,  which  is  a  trouble.  Slatin's  letter 
mentions  the  '  Rapport  Militaire ' ;  it  seems  odd  he 
should  have  known  it  was  on  board,  unless  the 
Abbas  was  captured ;  yet  we  have  two  men  who 
declare  she  passed  down.  Perhaps  the  captured 
Greeks  knew  of  the  existence  of  this  famous  Journal, 

9  "  King  John  issued  an  edict  that  if  any  of  his  subjects  were  found 
smoking  they  should  lose  hand  and  foot.  General  Gordon  in  his  notes 
on  Abyssinia  in  1879,  said:  'I  write  in  haste,  but  I  will  sum  up  my 
impression  of  Abyssinia.  The  king  is  rapidly  growing  mad.  He  cuts 
off  the  noses  of  those  who  take  snuff,  and  the  lips  of  those  who  smoke. 
The  king  is  hated  more  than  Theodore  was.  Cruel  to  a  degree,  he  does 
not,  however,  take  life.  He  cuts  off  the  feet  and  hands  of  people  who 
offend  him.  He  puts  out  their  eyes  by  pouring  hot  tallow  into  their 
ears.  No  one  can  travel  without  the  king's  order  if  he  is  a  foreigner. 
You  can  buy  nothing  without  his  order;  no  one  will  shelter  j-ou  without 
his  order  —  in  fact  no  more  complete  despotism  could  exist.' 

"The  cruelties  the  king  and  his  people  committed  were  atrocious. 
Forty  Soudan  soldiers  were  mutilated  altogether,  and  sent  to  Bogos  with 
the  message  that,  if  His  Highness  the  Khedive  wanted  eunuchs  he  could 
have  these." — Hill's  Colonel  Gordon  in  Central  Africa,  pp.  421-423. 
—  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  203 

and  told  the  Arabs  of  it,  or  Awaan  may  have  writ- 
ten it ;  it  is  odd  he  (Slatin)  says  nothing  of  Power 
and  Herbin. 

House  of  Lords  ...  in  answer  to  questions  put 
by  the  .  .  .  of  .  .  .  replied  that  the  noble  marquis 
seemed  to  take  a  special  delight  in  asking  questions 
which  he  knew  he  (  .  .  .  )  could  not  answer.  He 
could  say  he  had  given  a  deal  of  time  and  attention 
to  the  affairs  of  the  Soudan,  but  he  frankly  acknowl- 
edged that  the  names  of  places  and  people  were  so 
mixed  up,  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  a  true  view 
of  the  case  (a  laugh).  The  noble  marquis  asked 
what  the  policy  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  was  ? 
It  was  as  if  he  asked  the  policy  of  a  log  floating 
down  stream;  it  was  going  to  the  sea,  as  any  one 
who  had  an  ounce  of  brains  could  see.  Well,  that 
was  the  policy  of  it,  only  it  was  a  decided  policy, 
and  a  straightforward  one  to  drift  along  and  take 
advantage  of  every  circumstance.  His  lordship  dep- 
recated the  frequent  questioning  on  subjects  which, 
as  his  lordship  had  said,  he  knew  nothing  about, 
and  further  did  not  care  to  know  anything  about. 

.  .  .  to  .  .  .  Why,  I  did  my  best  to  keep  the 
Hewitt  Treaty  secret  from  him.  It  is  no  use  blam- 
ing me.  I  knew  from  his  telegram  he  would  make 
a  noise  about  it,  and  I  told  Kitchener  not  to  say  a 
word  about  it.  It  is  that  brute  Mitzakis  who  let 
the  cat  out  of  the  bag. 

A  man  came  in  from  the  Mahdi's  camp,  who  left 
this  fourteen  days  ago  with  my  permission  to  go  to 
the  Arabs.  He  now  comes  back  to  see  his  family 
in  Kartoum.  I  have  told  him,  —  once  out,  there  is 
no  return  f     He  is  a  cool  fellow. 


204  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

The  Major  wounded  at  Bourrd  the  other  day  is 
dead. 

The  two  men  who  brought  letters  from  Saleh  Bey 
of  Galabat  do  not  like  going  out  on  the  North  Front 
side ;  they  want  to  go  out  by  the  West  side,  i.  e. 
where  the  Mahdi's  cump  is. 

I  believe  that  the  Hewitt  Treaty  wiU  be  a  com- 
plete dead  letter,  for  the  Greek  Consul  says  the 
Admiral  gave  him  (King  John)  no  money,  so  what 
was  the  use  of  the  treaty.  I  expect  King  John 
wrote  to  me  to  ask  me  to  give  him  the  taxes  of  the 
country  ceded,  quoting  the  treaty  of  Hewitt.  As  for 
the  King  or  his  men  ever  leaving  their  hills,  it  is 
out  of  the  question.  He  might  have  made  a  move 
had  he  been  given  X100,000,  but  no  chance  of  his 
doing  so  when  he  has  nothing  but  this  paper  treaty. 
The  only  place  the  King  could  possibly  occupy  is 
Senheit,  and  I  doubt  his  doing  that  permanently. 
He  will  drive  out  the  Roman  Catholic  Mission  at 
once  ^^  (part  of  his  missionary  movement)  ;  the  oc- 
cupation of  Senheit  just  cuts  off  the  safe  road  from 
Massowah  to  Kassala.  I  declare  it  is  amusing  to 
see  what  shifts  Her  Majesty's  Government  have  been 
put  to  get  out  of  their  mess. 

A  slave  has  come  in  to  Omdurman  with  another 
letter  from  the  Arabs.  I  shall  stop  this  fun  for  the 
future. 

I  feel  sure  King  John  gave  Admiral  Hewitt  a 
spear  and  shield  and  the  Order  of  Solomon  —  van- 
ity of  vanities  —  for  the  treaty,  and  I  feel  also  sure 

10  Mr.  F.  L.  James,  in  his  Wild  Tribes  of  the  Soudan,  gives  an  ex- 
cellent and  interesting  account  of  this  mission  station,  p.  210,  seq. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  205 

we  shall  see  no  Abyssinian  army  in  the  Soudan. 
The  King  will  write,  or  has  written,  a  haughty  letter, 
saying  that  his  mother,  the  Queen,  has  given  him, 
&c.,  &c.,  and  he  requests  I  will  send  in  the  taxes  at 
once.,  otherwise  he  will  advance.  All  T.,^^  and  we 
shall  hear  no  more  of  His  Majesty  except  groans 
at  my  perfidy  in  not  sending  the  taxes.  He  is  a 
hopeless  sort  of  man,  and  never  is  worth  consider- 
ing.^^ Her  Majesty's  Government  will  say :  "  We 
made  the  treaty;  it  is  not  our  fault  His  Majesty 
did  not  carry  it  out,  on  paper  ;  Kassala  and  all  the 
other  places  are  now  under  King  John,  and  conse- 
quently quite  safe."  The  treaty  is  worth  as  much 
as  any  treaty  made  now  giving  Kordofan  to  any 
one  I  ^^ 

We  need  now  only  a  treaty  with  the  Mahdi  about 
the  garrisons,  and  then  Her  Majesty's  Government 
will  sleep  in  peace :  their  work  is  done.  I  only  say 
I  will  have  no  confidence  in  any  such  treaty,  and 
shall  take  my  precautions  accordingly,  i* 

Letters  have  come  in :  one  says  Lupton  Bey  has 
surrendered  (Appendix  U,  a,  6,  c,  cZ),  and  has  been 
appointed  Governor  of  Bahr  Gazelle  with  an  ad- 
herent of  the  Mahdi.  Another  says  that  he  has 
brought  slaves  to  the  Mahdi,  and  hopes  to  buy  horses 
with   the   products   of    their   sale.^^     The   Mahdi's 

11  Twaddle.  —  Ed. 

12  Ismail,  the  Ex-Khedive,  who  knew  King  John  well,  said  to  Gen- 
eral Gordon,  "  Never  go  near  him  ;  it  is  perfectly  useless."  —  Ed. 

13  Of  course  General  Gordon's  contention  throughout  is  that  giving 
Kassala,  Katarif,  Galabat,  and  Bogos,  to  the  King  of  Ab3'ssinia,  is  in 
fact  precisely  the  same  thing  as  abandoning  those  places.  —  Ed. 

14  Here  a  page  has  been  cut  out  by  General  Gordon  himself.  — Ed, 

15  Appendix  U,  a. 


206  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

letter  is  to  relate  how  he  captured  the  post,^^  &c., 
Abbas,  &c.  My  answer  ^^  was  that  I  did  not  care 
who  had  surrendered  and  who  had  been  captured. 
As  for  these  letters,  I  cannot  make  head  nor  tail  of 
them,  so  I  leave  them  to  the  Arabic  scholars  of  the 
Universities. 

October  23.  —  (What  a  fearful  scrawl!)  Ten 
soldiers,  with  six  women  came  in  this  morning  to 
Omdurman.  I  have  sifted  out  the  Mahdi's  letter  ^^ 
respecting  the  capture  of  the  Abbas,  and  do  not 
believe  it ;  the  papers  he  sent  me  as  being  captured 
in  the  Abbas  were  never  in  the  Abbas  ;  they  were 
taken  from  a  spy  I  sent  out  from  here,  the  same 
man  who  brought  me  the  news  from  Dongola  of  the 
British  advance.  He  had  a  bad  eye  (ophthalmia), 
and  was  caught  at  Metemma  and  killed,  having, 
when  drunk,  let  out  that  he  had  come  from  me. 

The  nuns  had  to  walk  all  the  way  from  Kordof an. 
The  Mahdi  has  15,000  head  of  cattle  with  him. 
The  Arabs  are  dying  in  great  numbers  from  dysen- 
tery. The  village  of  Hogali  opposite  the  Palace  is 
levelled.  It  may  not  be  generally  known,  but  by 
the  firman  which  named  Towfik  there  is  an  express 
injunction  that  no  part  of  the  Egyptian  territory 
is  to  be  ceded,  except  by  permission  of  the  Porte. 
Also  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris,  and  also  by  that  of 
Berlin,  the  integrity  of  the  Ottoman  Dominion  is 
guaranteed  by  the  Powers.  What  a  farce  it  is  to 
say  Egypt  ceded  Kassala  ! 

The  escaped  party,  I  mentioned  as  having  come 

16  Appendix  U,  c.  n  u,  h.  is  U,  d. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  207 

in,  have  arrived  at  the  Palace,  nine  soldiers,  eight 
women,  and  two  slaves,  all  old  friends,  also  a  hah]/  ! 
They  say  the  Mahdi  started  with  40,000  Arabs  and 
1500  Regulars  from  Kordofan,  that  he  has  not  now 
more  than  5000  or  6000  Arabs  and  1000  soldiers 
(500  ran  away),  that  they  have  no  dhoora,  only 
35  boxes  (35,000  rds.)  Remington  cartridges,  and 
50  shells ;  they  say  the  other  soldiers  want  to  come 
in,  either  to-day  or  to-morrow.  The  Mahdi  says  he 
will  go  against  the  English  and  will  not  stop  at 
Kartoum.  The  whole  gang  were  shown  themselves 
in  the  mirrors.  Such  a  display  of  ivories  was  never 
seen.  The  baby  danced  with  delight,  at  seeing 
itself,  for  the  first  time  ;  it  was  like  a  black  slug. 
The  mother  was,  of  course,  delighted. 

The  Arab  horsemen  cut  the  telegraph  which  goes 
out  of  the  lines  at  Bourr^  to  the  North  Fort.  I 
declined  to  allow  its  repair,  since  I  had  lost  a  major 
and  had  six  men  wounded  when  last  we  went  out  of 
the  lines,  and  besides  which  I  had  another  cable  to 
the  north  side.  No  sentries  at  the  North  Fort  or 
Bourrd,  or  on  the  Mudirat ;  these  people  are  enough 
to  break  any  one's  heart.  Fortunately,  from  the  roof 
of  the  Palace  one  watches  all  these  things,  and  can 
bully  them  into  obeying  orders ;  but  it  is  (as  Hansall 
says  ^^)  a  we  ahrutissante^  to  be  always  snarling  and 
growling.  The  Ismailia  and  Husseinyeh  went  down 
the  river,  and  saw  no  Arabs  on  either  bank.  If 
these  Arabs  (one's  servants)  are  not  eating.,  they  are 
saying  their  prayers  ;  if  not  saying  their  prayers., 
they  are  sleeping ;  if   not  sleeping.,  they  are  sick. 

19  The  Austriau  Consul.  —Ed. 


208 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


One  snatches  at  them  at  intervals.  Now  figure 
to  yourself  the  jjosition ;  you  cannot  do  anything 
with  them  while  in  these  fortresses,  eating,  saying 
prayers,  sleeping,  or  sick,  and  they  know  it.  You 
would  be  a  brute  if  you  did  (which  I  fear  I  often 
am).  You  want  to  send  an  immediate  order,  and 
there  is  your  servant  bobbing  up  and  down,  and  you 
cannot  disturb  him.  It  is  a  beautiful  country  for 
trying  experiments  with  your  patience. 

It  is  very  curious,  but  if  I  am  in  a  bad  temper, 
which  I  fear  is  often  the  case,  my  servants  will  be 
always  at  their  prayers,  and  thus  religious  practices 
follow  the  scale  of  my  temper ;  they  are  pagans  if  all 
goes  well. 

I  must  say  I  hate  our  diplomatists. 


/5.-, 


I  think  with  few  exceptions  they  are  arrant  hum- 
bugs, and  I  expect  they  know  it.  I  include  the  Col- 
vin  class.  The  Rothschilds  are,  I  feel  assured,  giv- 
ing Her  Majesty's  Government  a  lot  of  bother  about 
the  Finance  Question.  If  you  had  asked  ...  at 
Balaklava  the  price  of  a  cheese  he  would  have  said 
.£5  5s.     If  you  asked  him  now  you  would  offend  him. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  209 

October  24.  —  Arab  church  parade.  Mahomet 
Achmet  and  Faki  Mustapha ;  few  in  number ;  at 
"Waled  a  Goun  the  Arabs  have  divided  their  camp, 
putting  the  regulars  near  the  river,  in  camp  apart 
from  theirs,  to  act  as  buffers  if  any  attack  is  made 
on  them. 

The  Arabs  have  got  a  nuggar  at  Giraffe.  A  man 
of  Zubair's  old  force  has  come  in  from  the  Arabs. 
To-morrow  expires  the  six  months  for  which  the 
notes  were  issued.  We  have  been  boxed  up  226 
days  (seven  and  a  half  months) ;  siege  of  Troy. 

The  man  who  came  in  (Zubair's  old  soldier)  was 
one  of  Lupton's  men  from  the  Bahr  Gazelle ;  he 
left  five  months  ago  (Bahr  Gazelle).  He  says  Lup- 
ton  is  at  Shaka,  and  is  Sheikh  Abdullah,  so  he  has 
changed  his  religion.^*^  I  wonder  what  has  become 
of  the  garrison  of  the  Equator.  Another  man  has 
come  in. 

All  that  bloodshed  in  fighting  the  slave-dealers  in 
the  Bahr  Gazelle  has  gone,  apparently,  for  nothing !  ^^ 
There  are  gi'eat  doubts  if  the  Mahdi  is  really  near, 
no  one  appears  to  have  seen  him. 

Since  the  escape  of  the  lot  yesterday,  the  Arabs 
have  taken  the  rifles  of  the  regulars  from  them  :  at 
the  Mahdi's  camp,  the  Arabs  have  a  ferry  under 
our  nose,  across  the  White  Nile ;  but  I  do  not  like 
to  send  up  the  steamers,  for  the  captains  are  so 
heedless. 

I  calculated  that  the  advance  force  of  troops  ar- 

20  When  a  Christian  becomes  a  Mahommedan  he  has  to  take  a  Ma- 
hommedan  name.  —  Ed. 

21  General  Gordon  is  here  evidently  thinking  of  Gessi's  glorious  cam- 
paign against  Suleiman.  —  Ed. 

14 


210  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

rived  at  "Wady  Haifa  on  22nd  September ,22  that  they 
took  twenty  days  from  there  to  Debbeh,  so  that  on 
12th  October  they  were  at  Debbeh  (Stewart  (Z). 
V.^  arrived  at  Debbeh  on  28th  September),  and 
I  calculate  they  could  not  be  at  Metemma  —  Shendy 
—  before  10th  November,  which  will  give  them 
twenty-nine  days  for  150  miles,  thence  it  is  five  days 
here  for  a  steamer,  so  that  15th  November  ought  to 
see  them  or  their  advance  guard. 

Extracts  from  Appendix  K. 
La  Route  de  Souakim  a  Berber. 
Avant  que  la  bataille  de  Tamai  eut  ete  livree  et  gar 
gnee,  le  General  Herbert  Stewai't,  sinon  les  generaux  Gra- 
ham et  Buller,  avaient  etudie  avec  soin  la  question  de  sa- 
voir  si  les  ti'oupes,  ou  une  partie  des  troupes,  pouvaient 
marcher  jusqu'a  Berber  2^07ir  aider  Gordon  a  reprhner 
les  partisans  dii  Mahdl  dans  la  region  du  Nil.  Cette 
proposition  semblait  alors  si  convenable  que  I'etat  des 
troupes  les  mieux  adaptees  a  une  semblable  expedition,  les 
dispositions  pour  les  approvisionnements,  I'equipement, 
les  chevaux  disponibles,  etc.,  avaient  ete  I'objet  de  I'etude 
journaliere  des  officiers.  On  se  souviendra  qu'apres 
Tamai,  la  cavalerie  se  transporta  aux  puits  d'Handouk, 
a  huit  milles  de  Souakim.  On  croyait  generalement, 
alors,  que  cette  marche  en  avant  n'etait  que  la  premiere 
etape  d'un  mouvement  sur  Berber  d'une  force  montee. 
Pour  empecber  toute  souffrance  provenant  d'une  disette 
d'eau,  I'effectif  ne  devait  pas  etre  de  plus  de  500  hommes 

22  The  Black  Watch  started  from  Cairo  for  Wady  Haifa  on  Septem- 
ber 23rd.  The  Mounted  Infantry  reached  Deel  on  September  24th, 
and  150  men  under  Daubeny  got  as  far  as  Tangoor  on  the  2Gth.  The 
first  steam  pinnace  arrived  at  Sarras,  which  is  about  twenty  miles  above 
the  Second  Cataract,  on  September  26th.  Lord  Wolseley  did  not  reach 
Wadv  Haifa  until  October  5th.  —Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  211 

de  cavalerie  ;  aucune  infanterie  ne  clevait  falre  partie  de 
I'expedition.  II  etait  en  outre  entendu,  qu'en  cas  de  ne- 
cessity, un  semblable  effectif  pourrait  suivre  un  jour  ou 
deux  apres  et  trouverait  egalement,  dans  les  puits,  de 
I'eau  en  abondance.  Le  fait  est  que  les  generaux  Gvn- 
ham,  Buller,  Stewart,  les  colonels  Clery,  Taylor,  et  d'au- 
tres,  semblaient  ne  pas  mettre  en  doute,  si  Tordre  en  etait 
donn^,  qu'une  succession  de  detachements,  forts  chacun  de 
500  hommes,  pourrait  etre  rapideraent  poussee  sur  Ber- 
ber. Le  bruit  de  ce  qui  se  passait  parvint  rapidement  aux 
oreiUes  de  nos  hommes  qui  etaient  a  la  Zariba  d'Handouk, 
et  la  plupart  des  troupiers  manifesterent  un  desir  intense 
de  prendre  part  a  I'expedition.  On  savait  que  le  General 
Stewart  avait  soumis  ses  plans  pour  la  marche  en  avant  au 
General  Graham,  et  que  ce  dernier,  ainsi  que  I'Ainiral 
Hewitt,  les  avait  recommandes  au  gourernement.  Les 
jours  se  succederent,  mais  Vordre  du  depart  n'arrivait 
pas  :  quelque  empresses  de  partir  que  fussent  heaucoup 
d'hommes,  si  nmis  avians  connu  alors  la  position  exaete 
de  Gordon,  on  eut  manifeste  heaucoup  plus  d'anxiete 
pour  Vordre  dtt  depart.  Lorsque  cette  question  etait  dis- 
cutee,  question  qui  au  moment  occupait  pleinement  nos 
pensees,  entre  officiers  superieurs,  ils  exprimaient  I'etonne- 
ment  que  I'ordre  fut  tant  retarde,  et  que  le  Gouvernement 
hesitat  davantage.  On  n'arrivait  qu'a  une  seule  conclu- 
sion, c' etait  que  la  positiori  du  General  Gordon  etait  telle 
quHl  n' avait  pas  hesoin  d'aide  de  troupes  britanniques  ve- 
nant  de  Souakim.  Quoi  qu'en  ait  pu  penser,  apres  re- 
flexion, le  General  Graham,  de  la  possibility  d'envoyer 
mie  troupe  de  cavalerie  forte  de  500  hommes,  en  mars 
dernier,  de  Souakim  a  Berber,  je  suis  certain  que  lui  et  la 
plupart  des  officiers  sous  ses  ordres  croyaient  alors  que 
c'etait  une  chose  sage  et  guerriere  a  entreprendre.  Nous 
nous  apercevons  tous  trop  tard,  que  cette  simple  expc'di- 
tion  eut  sauve  Berber,  Khartoum  et  Gordon  au  vrai  coiur. 


212  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

If  they  do  not  come  before  30th  November  the 
game  is  up,  and  Rule  Britannia.  In  this  calculation 
I  have  given  every  latitude  for  difficulties  of  trans- 
port, making  forts,  &c.,  and  on  the  15th  November 
I  ought  to  see  Her  Majesty's  uniform.  I  suppose 
a  part  of  the  force  will  go  to  attack  Berber  on  the 
10th  November  (when  I  calculate  they  will  be  at 
Metemma  —  Shendy),  and  that  a  small  party  will 
come  on  here ;  so  we  have  now  7  days  in  October 
and  15  days  in  November  to  wait  =  22  days  — 
three  weeks  to  add  to  the  226  days  we  have  already 
passed,  owing  to  Baring  (whom  I  shall  remember) 
and  his  peace  manoeuvres.  One  of  the  papers 
Slatin  sent  to  me  says  that  Graham  was  willing 
to  send  men  to  Berber,  and  could  have  done  it ; 
but  Evelyn  would  not  give  the  order.  I  asked 
only  for  200  men  to  be  sent  there  (vide  my  tele- 
gram in  Stewart's  Journal).  I  take  Slatin's  paper 
out  of  Appendix  E,  and  put  it  on  the  other  side.^^ 
I  do  not  know  the  date,  but  I  declare  that,  if  my 
telegrams  to  Baring  are  made  known,  it  will  be 
proved  Baring  knew  up  to  the  12th  March  the  ex- 
act position  of  affairs  up  here ;  and  therefore,  if 
there  was  an  impression  abroad  that  I  did  not  say, 
"  Send  troops  (200)  to  Berber,^*  or  you  -will  lose 
it,"  he  must  have  suppressed  my  telegrams. 

23  The  paper  referred  to  is  the  French  extract  just  given.  — Ed. 

24  Sir  E.  Barinrj  to  Earl  Granville  (received  March  bth). 

"  General  Gordon  has  on  several  occasions  pressed  for  200  British 
troops  to  be  sent  to  Wady  Haifa.  I  agree  with  the  military  authorities 
in  thinking  that  it  would  not  be  desirable  to  comply  with  this  request." 

Sir  Evelyn  Baring  to  Earl  Granville  {received  March  Uh). 
"General  Gordon  and  Colonel  Stewart  strongly  urge  the  desirability, 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  213 

I  dwell  on  the  joy  of  never  seeing  Great  Britain 
again,  with  its  horrid,  wearisome  dinner  parties  and 
miseries.  How  we  can  put  up  with  those  things 
passes  my  imagination !  It  is  a  perfect  bondage. 
At  those  dinner  parties  we  are  all  in  masks,  saying 
what  we  do  not  believe,  eating  and  drinking  things 
we  do  not  want,  and  then  abusing  one  another.  I 
would  sooner  live  like  a  Dervish  with  the  Mahdi, 
than  go  out  to  dinner  every  night  in  London.  I 
hope,  if  any  English  general  comes  to  Kartoum,  he 
will  not  ask  me  to  dinner.  Why  men  cannot  be 
friends  without  bringing  the  wretched  stomachs  in 
is  astounding. 

October  25.  —  Three  men  came  in  from  Waled  a 
Goun ;  one  I  sent  out  again,  as  I  think  he  is  a  spy, 
the  other  reports  that  the  small,  captured  steamer 
Mahomet  AH  will  be  down  at  Giraffe  with  twelve 
boat  loads  of  grain,  either  to-day  or  to-morrow.  I 
do  not  even  attempt  to  stop  it  ;  for  if  the  expedi- 
tionary force  arrives,  we  will  capture  it ;  I  cannot 
risk  steamers  against  land  guns. 

Two  soldiers  came  in  from  the  Arabs  at  Omdur- 
man  with  their  rifles. 

A  lot  of  people  are  moving  from  the  right  bank 
of  Nile,  towards  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed's  (the  7nan 
not  the  city}.  Are  they  leaving  on  account  of  the 
advance  of  the  troops?  or  is  it  for  offensive  pur- 

from  the  point  of  view  of  the  success  of  their  present  mission,  of  open- 
ing up  the  Berber-Suakin  route.  ...  I  cannot  agree  with  the  proposal 
mentioned  in  Colonel  Stewart's  telegram,  that  a  force  of  British  or  In- 
dian cavalry  should  be  sent  through  for  Suakin  to  Berber." — £i/ypt 
No.  12  (1884).    No.  205.  —  Ed. 


214 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


poses  ?  or  is  it  a  raid  which  is  returning  from  pil- 
lage ?  We  sent  up  the  steamers  and  stopped  the 
Arab  ferry  near  the  lines.  The  Arabs  are  retaliat- 
ing by  putting  a  gun  or  two  in  the  old  place  near 
the  large  tree  (el  Sheddarah).  The  Arabs  fired 
four  shells  at  the  steamers.  Soldiers  at  Omdurman 
captured  two  cows,  and  killed  two  others.  Another 
slave  came  in  at  Omdurman.  Yesterday  some  cows 
were  captured  near  the  South  Lines. 


El  foun 

Obeyeil 
4000 
1  glH» 


OmdoiTnan 


What  would  be  the  best  plan  of  attacking  the 
Arabs  ?  The  object  is  to  give  them  such  a  crush- 
ing defeat  as  will  put  an  end  to  the  fighting,  and 
prevent  them  rallying  on  Kordofan.  The  position 
is  thus :  — 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  215 

1.  I  would  attack  Waled  a  Goun  at  A,  and  I 
would  cut  off  his  retreat  by  sending  up  steamers  to 
Duem  with  a  small  force ;  the  Mahdi's  force  and 
Sheikh  el  Obeyed's  force  would  look  on. 

2  At  the  same  time  I  would  attack  the  post  at 
Giraffe.  Both  operations  on  the  same  day  with  the 
following  troops. 

OiJerations  on  White  Nile.  —  To  proceed  up  the 
White  Nile  by  boats,  2000  B.  infantry  to  point  X. 
To  proceed  along  the  White  Nile,  right  bank,  the 
cavalry  you  may  have  to  point  X.  To  occupy  with 
two  guns  and  1500  men  simultaneously  the  two  vil- 
lages outside  the  lines,  with  the  Soudan  troops,  the 
troops  not  to  advance,  only  to  threaten,  houses  loop- 
holed,  &c.     Three  steamers  to  accompany  the  force. 

Operations  on  Blue  Kile.  —  To  proceed  up  tha 
Blue  Nile  or  along  the  bank,  1000  B.  infantry,  ac- 
companied by  steamers  and  boats,  with  the  Shag- 
gyeh  horsemen,  some  80,  and  1000  men  of  Soudan 
troops  to  Giraffe. 

If  these  operations  are  successful,  then  800  men 
with  four  steamers  to  pursue  up  the  river  to  Duem. 

Expedition  to'wards  Sennaar.  —  The  Sheikh  el 
Obeyed  will  probably  surrender  at  once,  then  a 
force  of  500  B.  I.  and  1000  Soudan  infantry  should 
go  up  river  to  Wad  el  Medinet,  and  open  the  route 
to  Sennaar  (while  men  are  sent  up  to  buy  corn  with 
them).  There  appear  to  be  no  Arabs  in  arms  be- 
tween Wad  el  Medinet  and  Sennaar,  or  south  of 
Sennaar.  (The  Mahdi  will  at  once  retreat  to  Obeyed, 
the  city.^  This  expedition  will  probably  be  met  at 
Abou  Haraz  by  the  surrender  of  Katarif  and  all 


216  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL 

that  district,  and  thus  the  route  to  Katarif  and  Kas- 
sala  will  be  opened. 

These  operations  will  entail  the  very  smallest 
amount  of  marching  on  the  troops,  and  would  be 
completed  in  three  weeks  or  less. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  in  all  these  engage- 
ments in  the  Soudan  no  quarter  on  either  side  has 
been  given,  so  it  must  not  be  expected  that  the 
Soudan  troops  will  give  it  now  if  you  come  ;  also 
with  respect  to  the  wounded  Arabs,  if  you  go  and 
help  them,  they  will  (like  the  Afghans)  try  and  kill 
your  men  who  make  the  effort ;  they  are  very  treach- 
erous, and,  worked  up  by  religious  frenzy,  they 
think —  1.  That  you  only  pretend  to  help  them,  in 
order  to  kill  them  afterwards ;  2.  That,  being  des- 
perate, they  think  to  enter  Paradise  if  they  kill  an 
infidel.  It  seems  rather  cold-blooded  to  write  this, 
but  it  is  the  character  of  those  whom  you  are  to  fight. 
For  my  part,  I  hope  they  will  all  run  away,  for  they 
are  only  duj)es  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred ;  it 
is  the  leaders  who  are  the  prime  movers.  I  would 
give  the  lives  to  the  leaders  if  they  ask  pardon  ;  but 
I  would  send  them  all  to  Mecca  to  study  Mahdism 
under  the  Orthodox.  No  information  as  yet  as  to 
the  meaning  of  the  caravan,  &c.,  which  left  the  Nile 
to  go  towards  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed.  One  of  our 
boats,  which  was  collecting  grass  down  below  Hal- 
feyeh,  must  needs  land  its  crew  and  try  and  take 
some  cattle  of  the  caravan.  The  Arabs  turned  on 
them,  and  killed  the  Reis.  Crew  says  they  killed  a 
lot  of  Arabs  (?).  1  think  these  people  do  really  love 
fighting,  if  there  is  the  least  chance  of  plunder. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  217 

King  John  (according  to  the  Greek  Consul)  is  to 
be  allowed  to  import  arms  at  Massowah.  He  will 
never  do  it,  for  he  has  not  money  to  buy  them. 

If  the  Mahdi  has  got  the  Bahr  Gazelle,  and  we 
evacuate  the  Soudan  in  his  favour,  the  Anti-Slavery 
Society  may  as  well  close  their  office  as  to  the  sup- 
pression of  the  slave-trade  in  these  parts,  especially 
if  we  leave  him  the  steamers.^^ 

Special  Commission,  House  of  Lords.  .  .  .  under 
examination,  Q.  2389.  Did  your  Lordship  know, 
when  in  Cairo,  that  the  fellaheen  were  being 
dragged  in  chains  from  their  houses,  to  go  and  fight 
the  Mahdi,  under  Hicks,  and  what  steps  did  you 
take  to  prevent  it?^^  Did  you  inform  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government  of  the  facts,  and  what  was  their 
answer  ? 

The  Mahdi  has  moved  his  ferry  higher,  up  river 
since  our  steamers  went  up  this  morning. 

It  is  a  great  question  of  doubt  to  me,  if  Public 
Officials  ought  to  so  sink  their  personalit}',  as  to 
allow  themselves  to  overlook  facts,  which  must  strike 
them,  as  being  not  only  evil,  but  also  detrimental  to 
our  national  interests,  merely  because  such  facts  are 
likely  to  be  disagreeable  to  our  Government  in  re- 
quiring them  to  decide  on  difficult  questions.  .  .  . 
did  know  of  this  forced  conscription,  and  so  did 
.  .  .  Did  they  not  see  that,  to  allow  such  conscripts 
to  go  up  to  the  Soudan,  was  not  only  cruel,  but  also 

25  Gordon's  intention  and  desire  was  to  liave  taken  the  steamers  to 
the  Balir  Gazelle,  and  to  have  protected  that  country  against  the  Mahdi. 
—  Ed. 

26  The  fact  that  the  fellalieen  were  dragged  in  chains  from  their 
huts,  and  kept  in  chains  in  the  streets  of  Cairo,  is  well  kuown.  —  Ed. 


218  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

politically  unwise,  for  it  could  not  be  expected  that 
they  would  have  any  heart  in  the  matter  ?  If  they 
had  stopped  it,  Hicks  would  have  never  left  Kar- 
toum,  and  his  army  would  not  have  been  annihilated ; 
for  it  is  the  defeat  of  Hicks  which  gave  the  Mahdi 
his  great  prestige.  He  had  annihilated  detachments 
before  that :  after  that  he  had  crushed  a  huge  army. 
See  what  it  has  led  to !  There  are  times  when  men 
like  .  .  •  ought  to  obey,  and  there  are  times  when 
they  ought  to  disobey  or  else  resign.  Now,  if  .  .  . 
had  only  hinted  his  resignation,  the  Governments 
were  so  placed  as  to  be  obliged  to  listen  to  him.  I 
have  a  strong  suspicion  .  .  .  did  know  how  to  act. 
It  Avas  .  .  .  and  a  wish  to  be  agreeable  to  Her 
Majesty's  Government  which  prevented  him  acting 
according  to  his  own  ideas.  Sometimes  it  is  the 
height  of  unkindness  to  be  too  kind  and  amiable, 
and  this  is  one  of  those  cases.  History  may  be 
misty  about  it  (will  not  know  the  thimble  the  pea  is 
under,  for  the  cards  are  well  shuffled),  but  there  is 
no  doubt  that  .  .  .  had  the  destinies  of  Egypt  and 
of  the  Soudan  in  his  hands,  y«r  more  than  Her 
Majesty's  Government.,  and  he  did  not  succeed.  His 
amiability  did  for  him.  It  is  not  insubordinate  to 
resign,  if  you  do  not  agree  to  a  policy,  or  feel  you 
cannot  carry  it  out  with  a  whole  heart.  In  military 
affairs  it  is  different ;  one  is  ordered  to  go  here  and 
there,  and  one  obeys  (even  if  one  thinks  it  is  unwise, 
having  represented  it),  but  in  dij^lomacy  there  is  no 
such  call,  and  certainly  there  was  none  in  the  case 
of  .  .  .  who  is  only  an  amateur  in  the  Foreign 
Office  Service,  an  outsider.    Had  .  .  .  when  he  came 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  219 

to  Egypt  cut  down  the  rate  o£  interest  by  a  swoop  of 
his  pen  to  3^  per  cent.,  who  would  have  said  a  word? 
but  now  it  is  the  difficulty.  There  would  have  been 
a  fearful  howl  from  the  bondholders,  but  that  would 
have  been  all.  He  dismissed  the  Control  (under  the 
cover  of  Towfik),  and  could  have  reduced  the  inter- 
est, and  he  would  have  gained  the  sympathy  of  all 
the  people.  Hicks  (who,  by  the  way,  never  wanted 
to  go  to  the  Soudan)  would  have  held  his  own  at 
Kartoum,  and  have  worn  out  the  Malidi,  and  we 
would  have  had  none  of  this  late  work.  I  am  afraid 
to  say  what  numbers  have  been  killed  through  this 
present  policy,  certainly  some  80,000 ;  and  it  is  not 
yet  over.  For  my  part,  I  hope  they  will  all  run 
away.  We  have  in  a  most  effectual  way  restored 
the  slave-trade  and  slave-hunting,  for  Her  Majesty's 
Government  cannot  keep  the  Soudan,  and  never  will 
Egypt  be  able  to  govern  it.  The  only  thing  to  be 
done  is  to  give  it  to  the  Sultan.  What  an  end  to 
diplomacy  of  Her  Majesty's  Government :  and  it  was 
so  easy  when  I  left  in  January,  1880,  to  have  settled 
it  quietly,  giving  up  ICordqfan,  Darfur,  and  Bahr 
Gazelle^  and  Equator.,  with  decency  and  quiet. 

I  declare  I  do  not  see  how  we  will  get  out  of  it 
(the  Soudan)  even  now ;  allow  that  you  come  to 
Kartoum,  that  you  drive  off  the  Arabs,  open  the 
road  to  Sennaar.  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? 
You  will  say,  "  Take  out  those  who  wish  to  leave." 
Well,  you  begin  with  Sennaar,  and  of  course  will 
have  to  fight  all  the  way  down.  It  will  take  three 
months.  During  those  three  months,  how  are  you 
to  feed  Kartoum  ?  for  the  moment  vou  leave  Sen- 


220  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

naar  you  leave  your  granary.  You  get  to  Kartoum, 
you  are  face  to  face  with  30,000  people,  who  will 
not  leave,  and  who  are  hedging  with  the  Mahdi; 
and  with  3000  Shaggyeh,  all  armed.  You  fight 
your  way  to  Berber ;  another  three  months,  you 
have  no  food  at  Berber ;  then  it  will  need  another 
tv/o  months  to  get  to  Dongola,  which  (seeing  your 
policy)  will  be  hostile.  It  is  indeed  a  terrible  prob- 
lem, and  I  wish  I  could  see  my  way  out  of  it. 

Then  you  come  into  the  hot  months,  and  low 
Nile.  This  time  next  year  will  not  see  you  out  of 
the  Soudan,  with  decency.  Of  course  you  can  go 
back  now,  but  what  was  the  use  of  coming  ?  /  tvill 
not  alloio  that  you  came  for  me.  Yoti  came  for  the 
garrisons  of  the  Soudan.  Now,  by  the  Turkish 
arrangement,  if  you  act  promptly,  you  can  get  away 
quietly  in  January,  1885.  It  will  not  cost  anything 
like  what  it  will  cost  you  to  keep  your  troops  here 
for  a  year,  as  I  fear  you  must  do  if  you  persevere  in 
trying  a  ^'' rapid  retreat." 

I  can  have  no  object  in  this  advice.  I  want  to  get 
out  of  the  affair,  but  with  decency.  I  regret  the 
necessity  of  an  expedition,  but  if  once  you  come  to 
Berber,  and  communicate  with  Kartoum,  if  you 
stick  to  the  ^^  rapid  retreat,^^  you  will  not  be  able 
to  accomplish  it,  and  you  are  in  for  a  year's  stay. 
While,  on  the  other  hand,  the  giving  of  country  to 
Turks  enables  you  to  get  away  with  credit.  Let  Her 
Majesty's  Government  fnd  excuses  for  it ;  it  will 
not  be  difficult  for  them.  Put  yourself  in  my  posi- 
tion if  you  say  "  rapid  retreat.,  and  leave  Sennaar  to 
itsfater   I  will  say,  "  iVb,  I  would  sooner  diefirst^'' 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  221 

and  will  resign  my  commission,  for  I  could  not  do  it. 
If  you  say,  "  TJien  you  are  no  longer  Governor- 
General,"  then  I  am  all  right,  and  all  the  responsi- 
bility is  on  you  (for  I  could  not  be  supposed,  if  you 
turn  me  out  of  Governor-General,  to  be  obliged  to 
aid  such  a  movement,  which  I  think  is  disgraceful). 
You  will  then  be  face  to  face  with  the  people.  I  do 
not  say  but  that  Abdel  Kader  might  not  aid  in  the 
"  raind  retreat "  better  than  I  could,  even  if  I 
agreed  to  it  (of  this  you  can  judge  for  yourself ;  at 
any  rate  I  shall  be  out  of  it,  and  of  my  engagement 
to  the  people). 

It  may  be  that  all  this  writing  is  unnecessary,  and 
that  you  have  other  views,  but  it  is  as  well  j^ou 
know  my  opinions.  /  am  secure  against  any  loss,  hy 
the  King  of  the  Belgians,  if  I  leave  H.  M.  S.,  there- 
fore lam,  so  to  say,  free  of  H.  M.  S.  If  you  turn 
me  out  of  Governor-  General  I  am  relieved  from  all 
responsibility,  as  to  your  action  in  Soudan,  toioards 
the  people.  I  do  not  think  I  am  insubordinate  in 
this  matter,  nor  unreasonable.  I  do  not  say  I  would 
not  give  all  my  services  in  a  subordinate  position  to 
aid  you,  but  it  would  be  against  my  grain  and  be 
very  distasteful,  and  must  NOT  be  in  position  of 
Governor-General  ;  that  must  be  a  sine  qud  non^ 
and  it  must  be  known  that  I  disapprove  of  the 
"  rapid  retreat.^''  ^'    I  would  not  say  this  if  I  was  not 

2"  General  Gordon  intends  H.  M.  Government  to  understand  by  this 
statement,  that,  in  the  position  of  a  Major-General  in  H.  M.  Service,  he 
would  give  all  his  services  to  the  retreating  expedition,  were  he  ordered 
to  do  so,  though  such  an  order  would  be  most  unwelcome ;  but  that  he 
would  do  nothing  of  the  kind  until  some  one  replaced  him  as  Governor- 
General.     He  is  really  applying  to  himself  the  remarks  he  made  a  few 


222      GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

convinced  that  the  "  rapid  retreat  "  is  an  operation 
of  such  difficulty  as  to  make  every  Englishman 
akin,  and  bound  to  aid  one  another.  If  I  was  Lord 
Wolseley  I  toould  mahe  Her  Majesty's  Government 
send  the  Turks  here. 

I  do  not  advocate  the  keeping  of  the  Soudan  by 
us ;  it  is  a  useless  possession,  and  we  could  not  govern 
it,  neither  can  Egypt  (after  the  late  events).  I  am 
only  discussing  how  to  get  oxitof  it  in  honour  and  in 
the  cheapest  toay  (we  must  remember  we  caused  its 
troubles),  and  that  way  is,  either  by  some  sort  of 
provisional  Government  under  Zubair,  or  by  giving 
it  to  the  Turks ;  it  is  simply  a  question  of  getting 
OUT  OF  IT  with  decency.  Zubair  would  square  the 
Shaggyeh  and  townspeople  and  arrange  with  the 
Mahdi,  and  you  could  get  away.  He  might  hold 
his  own  if  you  gave  the  Mahdi  a  good  defeat  ere 
you  left ;  at  any  rate  it  is  only  by  Zubair  or  the 
Turks  you  will  get  out  of  the  Soudan  before  No- 
vember, 1885 ! ! ! ! ! 

The  Turks  are  the  best  solution,  though  most  ex- 
pensive. They  would  Iceep  the  Soudan  :  give  them 
£2,000,000.  The  next  best  is  Zubair  with  £500,000, 
and  £100,000  a  year  for  two  years  ;  he\vill  keep  the 
Soudan  for  a  time  (in  both  cases  slave-trade  will 
flourish)  ;  thus  you  will  be  quiet  in  Egypt,  and  will 
be  able  to  retreat  to  Egypt  in  Januatn/,  1885.  If 
you  do  not  do  this^  then  be  prepared  for  a  deal  of 
loorry  and  danger.^  and  your  campaign  will  be  en- 

pages  back:  "In  militarv  affairs  it  is  different:  one  is  ordered  logo 
here  and  there,  and  one  obeys  (even  if  one  thinks  it  unwise,  having 
represented  it),  but  in  diplomacy  there  is  no  such  call."  —  Ed. 


GENEllAL    GORDOS'S  JOURNAL.  223 

tirely  uni^rofitahle  and  devoid  of  prentige^  for  the 
clay  after  you  leave  Kartoum  the  Mahcli  will  walk  in 
and  say  he  drove  you  out,  which  is  not  pleasant  in 
India  or  elsewhere. 

In  discussing  this  question  I  have  entirely  put  my 
own  peculiar  views  out  of  the  question :  to  give  up 
countries  which  are  to  some  degree  civilised,  which, 
if  properly  governed,  are  quiet  and  orderly,  to  the 
Turks  or  to  Zubair,  and  to  allow  of  the  slave-trade 
to  flourish  again  in  tenfold  intensity,  is  not  a  very 
high  Tole^  but  quoifaire  ?  We  have  not  the  men  to 
govern  these  lands,  we  cannot  afford  the  money  ; 
consequently,  I  advise  what  I  have  said.  When  I 
left  the  Soudan  it  was  quiet  and  covered  its  expenses, 
and  there  was  no  bother  to  have  continued  to  have 
governed  it.  Now  it  is  different,  and  would  need  an 
outlay  which  our  Government  will  not  give.  (It  is 
because  the  cloth  is  short  I  recommend  the  shape  of 
coat  to  be  such.) 

It  would  be  nobler  to  keep  the  Soudan,  but  it  is 
too  much  to  expect  our  taxpayers  to  agree  to  (and 
besides  which,  '  Plutarch's  Lives '  are  no  longer  in 
vogue,  and  "  you  must  'pay  me  'well  ere  I  go  to  the 
Soudan  "  is  the  idea).  The  Soudan  could  (if  cut  off 
from  excrescences)  be  made  to  pay  its  expenses,  but 
it  would  need  a  dictator,  and  I  would  not  take  the 
post  if  offered  to  me. 

October  26.  —  Three  women  came  in  from  Waled 

28  Up  to  the  present  we  have  neither  given  the  Soudan  to  the  Turks 
nor  have  we  established  Zubair  as  Governor-General,  but  we  have  had 
"rt  deal  of  iLwrry  and  danger,''''  and  the  campaign  has  been  '"entirely 
■unprofitable  and  devoid  of  prestiffe."  —  Ed. 


224  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

a  Goun.  The  idea  is  gaining  ground  that  the  Mahdi 
is  dead,  and  that  his  Vakeel  is  acting  his  part.  The 
Arabs  are  thinking  of  placing  a  station  at  Merow^. 

Yesterday  week  was  the  anniversary  of  Hicks's  de- 
feat, 1st  November,  1883,  though  I  believe  it  went 
on  for  three  days,  1st,  2nd,  and  3rd  November. 

The  Arabs  have  brought  a  gun  nearer  Bourr^  to- 
day, probably  emboldened  by  absence  of  the  steamers. 
Two  lieutenants,  one  sergeant-major,  two  sergeants, 
one  soldier,  and  one  slave  came  in  to  Omdurman  from 
the  Arab  camp.  They  say  the  Mahdi  is  alive ;  with 
him  are  Saleh  Pasha,  in  chains,  Hussein  Pasha  Kha- 
lifa, Elias  Pasha,  and  all  the  Europeans.  They  heard 
a  report  (now  some  days  old)  that  the  Expeditionary 
Force  was  two  days  distant  from  Berber.  The  two 
lieutenants  were  with  Hicks  ;  they  say  the  army  died 
of  thirst,  and  scarcely  fought  at  all.  With  the  Mahdi 
are  5000  men,  of  which  1000  are  black  troops,  150 
are  Egyptian  troops.  What  little  weight  do  engineers 
place  on  the  existence  of  populations  in  fortresses, 
yet  this  existence  is  all-important ;  more  so  than  the 
works.  Malta  and  Gibraltar  are  weak,  because  of 
their  civil  population. 

The  Arabs  have  a  big  tent  at  Giraffe  this  even- 
ing. The  lieutenants  who  came  in  say  the  Mahdi 
will  try  and  place  a  station  in  the  place  we  drove 
them  out  of  —  on  the  North  Front  —  in  August  last, 
just  before  our  defeat  at  El  foun.  Goba,  with  the 
exception  of  Mahomed  Seyd  Osman's  house  and  the 
Mosque,  is  destroyed.     Salaam  Pasha's  is  nearly  so. 

8  P.  M.  —  Two  slaves  have  come  into  Omdurman. 
They  say  "  the  regulars  in  the  camp  of  Mahomet 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  225 

Aclimet,  the  MaTidi^  ivent  this  afternoon  to  the  Dem, 
or  camp  of  Faki  Mustaplia^  and  looted  it,  firing  on 
the  soldiers  of  Faki  Mustapha,  who  resisted  the 
plundering."     I  fear  it  is  all  fudge. 

October  27.  —  One  sergeant-major  and  two  slaves 
came  in  to  Omdurman  this  morning.  Sent  out  two 
spies  towards  Shendy. 

One  thing  which  (although  spiteful)  would  cause 
me  intense  pleasure  if  the  "  rapid  retreat "  is  carried 
out,  is  that  the  English  would  just  walk  into  those 
Shaggyeh  and  Bashi  Bazouks,  and  bundle  them  all 
out,  and  thus  pay  them  out  for  the  worry  they  have 
given  me,  and  for  their  meanness. 

If  the  Turks  come  here,  you  would  have  scarcely 
any  one  to  send  down,  and  you  would  hand  over  the 
Shaggyeh  and  Bashi  Bazouks  to  the  Turks,  and  all 
the  Divans,  &c.  Nothing  then  could  be  better  for 
you  than  to  get  the  Turks  here.  You  would  get  off 
all  responsibility  of  Kassala  and  Sennaar,  and  you 
woidd  let  the  Turks  and  the  King  of  Abyssinia  set- 
tle about  the  Hewitt  Treaty.  You  would  also  get 
off  the  bother  of  the  Equator  and  Bahr  Gazelle,  if 
it  has  not  fallen. 

You  would  know  exactly  what  sum  you  had  to 
pay,  and  save  no  end  of  expense  and  time  and  vex- 
ation with  regard  to  the  settlement  of  claims.  Re- 
member that  Baring  authorised  me  to  draw  more 
than  d£100,000  ;  indeed,  he  said,  "  Such  sum  as  you 
need."  So  you  are  responsible  for  paper-money  is- 
sued. 

You  would  make  up  with  the  Sultan,  and,  as  for 

15 


226  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

giving  up  Suakin  and  Massowah  to  the  Turks  it  is 
nothing  ;  for  those  ports  are  useless,  except  as  ports 
of  the  Soudan,  and  woukl  be  a  bother  to  you  to 
keep,  if  the  Mahdi  has  the  Soudan.  You  would  be 
always  in  strict  blockade  on  land  side.^^ 

The  more  I  think  of  it  the  more  the  Turk  solu- 
tion appears  Hobson's  choice.  I  can  see  no  option, 
unless,  ere  you  arrived  at  Kartoum,  Kartouni  fell, 
and  then,  even,  it  would  not  look  well  to  go  back 
from  Berber,  while  that  even  would  be  dangerous  to 
some  degree  ;  for  the  Dongola  people  would  see  you 
meant  to  evacuate,  and  would  be  hostile.  You  have 
gone  so  far  and  sj^ent  so  much  that  I  cannot  see 
anything  for  it  but  to  go  on.  And  the  Turks  are 
the  only  solution  which  affords  the  certainty  of  be- 
ing able  to  stop.  I  get  out  of  all  my  troubles  if  the 
Turks  come,  for  I  shunt  them  on  the  Turks,  and  so 
do  you.  The  idea  is  that  when  the  English  come 
here  the  Arabs  will  bolt. 

Stewart's  servant,  Macktar,  must  needs  go  and 
marry  another  wife.  How  they  can  go  on  like  this, 
marrying  and  giving  in  marriage,  when  one  can 
never  say,  that  to-morrow  is  our  own,  is  wonderful. 
Tangi  has  taken  two  wives  up  here ! 

The  Government  shall  not  get  out  of  the  desertion 
of  Kassala  (if  they  take  cover  under  the  Hewitt 
Treaty  and  say,  "  We  arranged  with  the  King  of 
Abyssinia  to  look  after  that  country  "),  if  they  do 
desert  it,  for  the  King  will  never  move,  and  all  who 
have  ever  known  anything  of  Abyssinia  must  know 

29  "We  are  at  present  not  only  in  strict  blockade  on  the  land  side  of 
Suakin,  but  absolutely  besieged.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  227 

he  can  never  move.  There  is  a  report  in  town  that 
Slatin  has  been  put  in  chains.  I  should  not  be  at 
all  surprised. 

The  sergeant-major,  soldiers,  and  two  men,  Shag- 
gy eh,  who  came  in  to-day,  say  that  Slatin  is  not  a 
prisoner.  The  sergeant-major  states  that  one  of  our 
soldiers  escaped  from  Omdurman  three  days  ago. 
On  inquiry,  I  find  that  it  is  true,  and  the  officer  in 
command  never  reported  it.  The  sergeant-major 
says  the  Arabs  meditate  an  attack  on  Omdurman, 
in  consequence  of  what  the  deserter  told  them.  This 
is  the  fourth  desertion  since  March  that  I  know  of, 
and  it  is  the  first  desertion  among  the  soldiers  (with 
saving  clause)  that  I  know  of.  Arabs  fired  on  the 
Santels  ^  at  the  end  of  the  lines  on  the  White  Nile, 
and  struck  one.  The  Arabs  fired  fourteen  times 
with  Krupp  guns ;  they  retired  when  we  fired  twice 
on  them ;  they  fired  from  their  old  battery  near  the 
Tree  "  el  Sheddarah."  Some  time  ago  I  gave  Fer- 
ratch  Pasha  £100  a  month,  and  I  afterwards  made 
him  a  Ferile,  or  General  of  Division,  for  political 
reasons.  He  had  the  cheek  to  ask  me  to  give  him 
£150  a  month  (the  sum  I  used  to  give  the  Se- 
raskier  or  Commander-in-Chief  in  the  Soudan  in  old 
times,  but  which  was  £50  beyond  regulation).  He 
put  in  an  ajiplication  a  few  days  ago  for  the  £150, 
and  forage  for  eight  horses !  Quite  ignoring  the 
state  of  the  dhoora  exchequer,  I  said,  "  Wait."  He 
was  foolish  enough  to  renew  the  application,  which 
I  tore  up.  He  may  go  to  the  Arabs  if  he  likes. 
The  Arabs  appear  to  be  passing  the  Blue  Nile  at 

80  Barges.  —  Ed. 


228  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Giraffe  ;  they  may  be  going  to  place  a  post  at  Halfe- 
yeh,  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  refusing  to  send  his  men 
there :  we  shall  see  to-morrow.  It  is  not  from  any 
feeling  of  respect  to  the  people  up  here  that  I  urge 
their  relief,  but  it  is  because  they  are  such  a  weak, 
selfish  lot,  and  because  their  qualities  do  not  affect 
the  question  of  our  duties  to  them.  The  Redemp- 
tion would  never  have  taken  place  if  it  had  depended 
on  our  merits. 

I  must  say  I  rather  revel  at  the  thought  of  the 
dismay  which  will  attend  the  reduction  of  salaries  to 
quarter  their  present  rate,  they  have  been  so  very 
selfish  about  these  things.  I  believe  if  the  Mahdi 
would  only  give  them  half  the  present  rate,  they 
would  go  to  the  Mahdi ;  but  the  Mahdi's  service  is 
gratuitous,  so  there  is  no  fear  of  that.  I  go  out,  a 
black  Bashi  Bazouk  addresses  me  on  the  inadequacy 
of  his  pay  and  rations.  I  whisper  to  him,  "  Go  to 
Sheikh  el  Obeyed,'^  he  grins  and  evaporates.  I  do 
not  care  a  bit  now.  We  must  either  be  relieved,  or 
fall,  before  the  end  of  November,  or  at  the  end  of 
November.  I  am  meditating  the  sending  down  of 
the  Husseinyeh  with  this  post ;  if  the  Arabs  come  to 
Halfeyeh  I  then  cut  off  all  hopes  of  our  escape,  for 
the  Ismailia  steamer  would  not  be  fit  to  go  down  to 
Berber.  The  financial  affairs  up  here  will  be  a  pre- 
cious job. 

It  amuses  me  to  find  people  here  holding  on  to 
the  delusion  that  the  old  state  of  affairs  is  likely  to 
come  back  as  to  the  Government,  and  saying,  "  You 
are  going  to  stay  with  us  as  Governor-General,  and 
things  are  to  be  as  of  old."     I  answer,  "  I  would  not 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  229 

take  you  again  at  any  price  after  your  meanness." 
They  say,  "  Oh,  yes,  the  people  are  not  well  be- 
haved, &c.,  &c.,  but  you  will  stay  for  the  glory  of 
God''''  {%.  e.  our  interests).  They  are  an  amusing 
lot :  Allah  on  lips,  self  interest  at  heart,  and  such 
self  interest  as  is  positively  naked^  and  they  even 
laugh  at  it. 

A  soldier  and  a  slave  came  in  to-night  to  Omdur- 
man.  They  say  the  Mahdi  is  undecided  what  to  do. 
The  regulars  with  the  Mahdi  have  been  robbing  the 
Arabs,  so  the  Mahdi  has  taken  away  their  arms. 

Spy  in  from  Sennaar  fifteen  days  ago  with  let- 
lers,^^  which  say  Sennaar  is  all  right.  This  was  in 
answer  to  a  letter  I  sent  to  Sennaar,  saying,  "  Ex- 
pedition was  on  its  way  to  relieve  the  garrisons^  so 
Sennaar  depends  on  me  to  see  after  it.^^ 

October  28.  —  The  man  who  came  from  Sennaar 
says  the  Mahdi  has  ordered  all  the  Arabs  to  congre- 
gate at  Kartoum  from  all  parts.  Sheikh  el  Obeyed 
has  made  a  station  close  to  Giraffe,  on  right  bank 
of  Blue  Nile.  They  have  two  boats  plying  across 
the  river,  taking  corn  from  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  to 
Waled  a  Goun.  Arabs  had  a  reconnoitring  party 
in  the  ruins  of  Omdurman  village  this  morning. 

One  lieutenant,  one  sergeant-major,  four  soldiers, 
and  one  boatman  came  in  this  morning  from  the 
Arabs  at  Omdurman.  Rumour  says  the  steamers  have 
been  looting  Shendy  (I  hope  that  it  will  be  remem- 
bered none  of  the  Egyptian  soldiers,  officers,  or  Pa- 
shas are  to  come  up  here  again).     The  boatman  left 

81  Appendix  T. 


230  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Berber  six  days  ago.  He  says  the  Arabs  at  Berber 
have  sent  the  captured  money,  &c.,  of  Berber  into 
the  desert ;  that  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman,  with  a  mixed 
force,  were  two  days'  march  from  El  Damer ;  that 
the  five  steamers  have  brought  Shendy,  &c.,  into 
subjection;  that  the  road  from  here  to  Shendy  is 
free  of  Arabs,  who  have  gone  into  the  desert ;  that 
only  in  a  certain  district  near,  but  higher  uj)  than 
Shoboloha,  there  are  marauding  Arabs,  but  no  great 
number ;  that  the  Abbas  passed  down  safely ;  that 
the  two  boats  which  had  wood  in  them  alone  were 
captured,  being  abandoned  on  being  emptied ;  that 
at  Dar  Djunina  a  Sheikh  pretended  to  be  friendly, 
and  tried  to  capture  the  steamer,  which  fired  on  the 
Arabs,  and  killed  a  lot ;  that  three  spies  from  Seyd 
Mahomet  Osman  were  captured  trying  to  commu- 
nicate with  Dongola,  and  were  executed  ;  that  a  man 
went  with  a  camel  from  Berber  to  Dar  Djunina, 
and  came  back  in  one  day  ;  that  the  Expeditionary 
Force  is  at  Dar  Djumna.  The  officer  reports  the 
Mahdi  most  undecided,  one  hour  disarming  the  reg- 
ulars, and  at  another  hour  arming  them  ;  the  Arabs 
deserting,  and  others  joining  the  Mahdi  day  after 
day. 

A  mine  was  exploded  by  a  man  on  the  North  side, 
and  I  hear  he  is  dangerously  wounded,  if  not  dead. 
On  questioning  the  boatman  again  he  explained  the 
Dar  Djumna  is  not  the  Cataract,  but  is  a  place 
(near  the  Cataract,  just  below  Berber)  one  and  a 
half  days  from  Berber.  They,  the  Expeditionary 
Force,  had  eight  steamers  (one,  the  old  screw  boat 
of  Dongola,  I  had  towed  up  from  Wady  HaKa  in 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


231 


1878).  The  man  said  the  Abhas  went  on  to  Don- 
gola  (why  was  it  not  sent  up  with  the  others?).  I 
have  given  half  month's  pay  to  all  ranks  below  ser- 
geant-major. I  only  owe  them  now  half  month's 
pay. 

If  the  General  of  the  ExjDeditionary  Force  has  sent 
up  a  force,  by  Nile  to  Berbei\  to  take  Berber.,  and 
then  if  he  marches  across  with  bulk  of  force  from 
Merow^,   in  my  humble  opinion   he  has  done    the 


right  thing. 


Abou  Hamed 

O 


ODebbeh 

If  Berber  had  not  been  taken  it  would  have  been  a 
picnic.     Baring ! !  Baring ! !  ^^ 

The  force  going  up  Nile  from  Merow^  to  Berber 
would  have  pretty  well  quieted  the  banks  of  the  Nile, 

32  Sir  Evelyn  Barinrj  to  Earl  Granville. 

Cairo,  February  28th,  1884. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  report  to  your  Lordship  that,  although  I  (.lid  not 
specially  consult  General  Gordon  on  the  subject  of  sending  British 
troops  to  Assouan,  he  telegraphs  to  nie  that  if  100  British  troops  were 
sent  to  Assouan  or  Wady  Half^,  they  would  run  no  more  risk  than  Nile 
tourists,  and  would  have  the  best  effect.  ...  I  certainly  would  not  risk 
sending  so  small  a  body  as  100  men."  —  Egypt  No.  12,  No.  170.  —  Ed. 


232  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

for  the  trianyle  contained  by  Merow^^  Ahou  Hamed^ 
and  Berber^  so  that  the  bulk  of  the  force,  moving 
from  Merow^  to  the  captured  Berber,  would  only  be 
exposed  to  attacks  from  the  south  flank,  where  there 
are  few  people.  My  experience  is  that  whenever  you 
can  possibly  do  so,  never  expose  yourself  to  be  at- 
tacked on  all  points  of  the  compass  ;  at  any  rate  se- 
cure yourself  on  one  flank.  The  force  advancing 
up  the  Nile  were  protected  on  one  flank,  the  Nile  ; 
that  going  across  from  Merow(^  to  Berber  will  be 
protected  on  the  north  flank  by  the  subjugated  tri- 
angle. Arabs  this  evening  appear  not  to  intend  to 
come  to  Half ey eh.  They  have  a  station  at  Giraffe, 
and  another  at  Kokoo,  which  is  nearly  opposite 
Giraffe,  on  right  bank  of  Blue  Nile.  (End  of  this 
blotting  jxeper  /)  ^^ 

Ferratch  Pasha  tried  again  in  a  roundabout  way 
to  get  the  <£150  a  month,  forage  (i.  e.  dhoora)  for 
four  horses,  and  rations  for  ten  men ;  he  utterly 
failed,  and  had  to  content  himself  with  .£100  a 
month  :  they  are  a  mean  lot.  (^Do  not  let  any  of 
those  Egyptians  in  the  steamers  come  bach  here  is 
my  earnest  prayer.)  (Floyer  will  be  furious  at  this 
misuse  of  telegraph  forms.)  2*  I  am  truly  delighted 
that  the  Abbas  did  not  leave  the  Greeks  behind,  and 
only  abandoned  the  boats  carrying  wood.  I  hope  in 
fourteen  days  to  have  another  sister  steamer  to  Abbas 
and  Husseinyeh  completed.  I  have  told  them  to 
rivet  her  only  six  inches  above  water  line,  and  to  put 

83  The  foregoing  portion  of  the  Journal  is  written  on  tissue  copying- 
paper.  —  Ed. 

84  This  part  of  the  Journal  is  written  on  telegraph  forms.  — Ed. 


O  Berber 


O  Abou 
Hamed 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  233 

holdfast  rivets  for  the  upper  portion  which  is  above 
water,  and  which  does  not  require  to  be  water-tight. 

They  say  that  the  Fascher  ^^  steamer  had  a  gun 
on  her ;  she  went  aground  near  Abou  Shourim  (the 
Father  of  the  Truth),  and  got  delayed  in  her  pursuit 
of  the  Abbas.  The  man  wounded  by  the  mine  is 
wounded  in  the  head,  chest,  and  legs ;  there  is  not 
much  hope  of  his  recovery. 

Awaan  (Stewart's  friend,  the  secretary  of  Arabi) 
is  behaving  very  badly  in  prison ;  he  was  put  in 
chains  by  mistake  and  released,  but  it  has  had  no 
effect :  he  abuses  the  soldiers.  I  expect  he  wrote  to 
the  Mahdi  and  told  him  of  Stewart's  departure  and 
of  the  "Journal,"  His  arrest  is  said  to  have  been 
of  great  effect  in  the  town ;  he  is  said  to  have 
preached  for  a  long  time  in  favour  of  the  Mahdi. 

October  29.  —  To-day,  year  1801  a.  h.,  is  said  to 
be  about  the  date  of  Hicks's  disaster ;  it  was  on  the 
1st,  2nd,  3rd  November,  but  with  the  Arabs  it  was 
the  12th,  13th,  14th  Moharrem.  The  news  was 
known  in  Cairo  three  weeks  after  the  event  oc- 
curred ;  since  that  date  iij)  to  this  date  nine  people 
have  come  up  as  reinforcements  —  myself,  Stewart, 
Herbin,  Hussein,  Tongi,  Ruckdi,  and  three  servants, 
and  not  one  penny  of  money.^^  Of  those  who  came 
up,  two,  Stewart  and  Herbin,  have  gone  down  :  Hus- 
sein is  dead,  so  six  of  the  reinforcements  alone  re- 

35  Captured  at  Berber  by  tlie  Arabs.  — Ed. 

86  General  Gordon  asks  in  an  undated  telegram,  written  after  the  fall 
of  Berber  :  "Is  it  right  that  I  should  have  been  sent  to  Kartoum  with 
only  seven  followers,  after  the  destruction  of  Hicks's  army,  and  no  at- 
tention paid  to  me  till  communications  were  cut  ?"  — Ed. 


234  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

main,  while  we  must  have  sent  down  over  1500  and 
700  soldiers,  total  2200  including  the  two  Pashas 
Ibrahim  Hardar,  and  Hussein  Cheri,  Coetlogon,  &c. 
The  regulars,  who  were  in  arrears  of  pay  for  three 
months  when  I  came,  are  now  only  owed  half  a  month, 
while  the  Bashi-Bazouks  are  owed  only  a  quarter 
month,  and  we  have  some  £500  in  the  treasury.  It  is 
quite  a  miracle.  We  have  lost  two  battles,  suffering 
severe  losses  in  those  actions  of  men  and  ai'ms,  and 
may  have  said  to  have  scrambled  through,  for  I  can- 
not say  we  can  lay  claim  to  any  great  success  during 
the  whole  time.  Things  apparently  went  against  us 
when  we  thought  we  were  getting  the  best  of  it. 

I  believe  we  have  more  ammunition,  Remington 
(though  we  have  fired  three  million  rounds  at  the 
Arabs),  and  more  soldiers  now,  than  when  I  came 
up.  We  have  every  reason  to  thank  God  for  his 
protection.  We  had  many  untoward  and  unex- 
pected misfortunes  :  the  death  of  Berzati  Bey  ^'  at 
Gitana ;  the  almost  unprofitable  first  trip  of  steam- 
ers to  Sennaar,  and  their  useless  delay  ;  our  defeat 
(after  El  foun  victory),  by  which  we  lost  the  active 
part  of  our  troops,  and  our  fighting  Pasha,  jNIahomet 
Ali ;  the  surrender  of  Saleh  Pasha  and  1500  men, 
with  the  capture  of  the  Mahomet  All  steamer  ;  the 
fall  of  Berber,  with  two  steamers  lost.  It  is  really 
very  wonderful  that,  with  such  few  successes  and  so 
many  heavy  disasters,  we  should  be  in  the  position 
we  are  now.      Of  the  reinforcement,  Stewart  and 

8"  Formerly  General  Gordon's  under  secretary  and  secretary.  He 
was  of  old  and  good  family,  and  greatly  respected  by  General  Gordon, 
who  said  in  1879:  "A  few  men  like  Berzati  Bey  would  regenerate 
Egypt,  but  they  are  rare."  — Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDONS  JOURNAL.  235 

Tongi  got  wounded.  We  have  lost  three  steamers, 
two  at  Berber  and  one  at  the  Blue  Nile,  and  we  have 
built  another,  the  Hiisseinyeh,  and  hope  to  have 
another  finished  in  a  fortnight,  which  makes  our 
loss  only  one.  The  defeat  near  El  foun  brought 
about  the  arrival  here  of  the  Mahdi,  which  might 
have  been  very  serious,  but  his  arrival  has  been 
apparently   rendered    innocuous.       We    have  £40,- 

000  in    Treasury  in    paper,    and   £500.       When 

1  came  up,  there  was  £5000  in  Treasury.  We 
have  £15,000  out  in  the  town  in  paper  money. 
When  I  came,  we  had  two  Pashas,  Ibrahim  Harclar^ 
Hussein  Cheri ;  we  have  now  two,  Ferratch  and 
Nutzer  Pasha.  Two  women,  wives  of  the  men  who 
escaped  yesterday  (with  another  very  small  brown 
baby),  came  into  Omdurman  to-day.  They  say  the 
Arabs  are  very  angry  about  the  desertions  ;  also  a 
boy  came  in.  It  would  seem,  looking  over  the  past 
months,  that,  if  taken  in  detail,  events  have  been 
very  much  against  us ;  while,  if  taken  generally,  we 
have  been  most  successful.  I  always  had  an  idea 
we  would  not  be  allowed  any  success  which  we  could 
impute  to  ourselves  ;  that  events  would  be  so  ruled 
that  we  should  just  scramble  through  and  have  noth- 
ing to  boast  of.  Mahomet  Ali  Pasha's  defeat  was 
owing  to  his  and  his  men  and  the  people  of  Kar- 
touni's  desire  to  loot  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  (the  man, 
not  the  city).  It  was  against  my  grain,  for  I  wanted 
to  capture  Berber,  which  was  the  proper  military 
operation  to  undertake ;  it  was  only  because  they 
were  so  anxious,  and  represented  the  affair  as  so 
easy,  that  I  consented  to  it.      Perhaps,  if  we  had 


236  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

taken  Berber,  Her  Majesty's  Government  would 
have  said  that  no  expedition  was  necessary  for  the 
relief  of  the  garrisons  ;  but  it  would  not  have  been 
correct  to  reason  thus,  foi',  though  Berber  might 
have  been  taken,  we  could  not  have  garrisoned  it ; 
and  it  would  have  been  a  barren  victory,  and  not 
have  done  much  towards  the  solution  of  the  Soudan 
problem  or  withdrawal  of  the  garrisons,  while  it 
might,  on  the  other  hand,  have  stopped  the  expedi- 
tion for  their  relief. 

It  is  the  Mahdi's  men  who  have  made  the  station 
at  Kokoo  on  right  bank  of  the  Blue  Nile  opposite 
Giraffe,  not  the  men  of  Waled  a  Goun ;  I  expect  it 
is  to  overawe  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed. 

The  Baggaras  on  the  north  side  captured  this  morn- 
ing three  of  the  Arabs  (one  is  brother  of  the  writer 
whose  things  were  found  on  the  bank,  and  whom  we 
supposed  to  have  been  murdered) ;  they  were  steal- 
ing three  horses  belonging  to  Saleh  Pasha.  A  slave 
came  in  from  the  Arabs  at  Omdurnian ;  he  says  the 
Mahdi  says  the  Moharrem  being  a  sacred  month,  he 
does  not  mean  to  fight ;  he  did  not  act  on  that  view 
in  re  Hicks ;  but  then  Hicks  attacked  or  tried  to 
attack  him. 

Doubts  are  tlrrown  on  the  veracity  of  that  boat- 
man, for  he  told  some  few  lies  about  how  he  went  to 
Berber  in  a  Government  boat,  which  is  not  true. 
However,  his  report  cheered  us  for  a  time.  Some 
one  (Talleyrand  ?)  said,  "  If  a  lie  got  currency  for 
twenty-four  hours,  it  did  its  work."  I  am  still  of 
opinion,  however,  if  the  season  was  not  so  far  ad- 
vanced, and  the  Nile  on  the  fall,  that  the  route  by 


Abou 
flamed 


Small  Detachments  should 
fill  up  the  ■wells  on  both 
flanks.     A   and   B. 


QShendy 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  237 

the  Nile  for  a  covering  force  was  a  correct  one, 
but  it  ought  to  have  been  undertaken  in  July  with  a 
rising  Nile. 

The  three  men  caught  to-day  say  the  "  Expedition- 
ary Force  is  still  at  Debbeh"  and  I  expect  this  is 
the  truth,  for  the  eight  steamers'  coming  up  the  Nile 
is  scarcely  possible  now,  since  the  Nile  is  falling. 
The  distance  direct  from  Kartoum  to  Debbeh  is 
nearly  250  miles,  and  if  the  Kababish  are  friendly, 
the  road  is  not  a  bad  one  ;  however,  I  think  Ambukol 
to  Metemma  (could  the  force  know  I  had  the  five 
steamers  at  Metemma)  would  be  better,  for  it  is  only 
150  miles,  and  from  DeTbbeh  to  Ambukol  there  is 
water  transport.  The  road  from  Ambukol  to  Me- 
temma does  not  plunge  so  deeply  into  desert ;  indeed, 
Merowe  to  Berber^  150  miles,  with  water  transport 
from  Debbeh  to  Merow^,  would  be  best  of  all,  if  the 
force  could  cross  the  Nile  at  Berber.  The  only 
enemy  the  force  will  meet  with,  on  any  of  the  three 
roads,  are  camel-men  and  horsemen,  till  it  arrives  on 
the  banks  of  the  Nile. 

October  30.  —  This  morning  the  Arabs  came  to 
Halfeyeh,  capturing  some  of  our  heedless  people ; 
whether  they  will  stay  there  or  not  I  do  not  know  — 
rumour  says  they  are  on  their  way  to  Shoboloha  and 
Shendy  to  repel  the  ravages  of  steamers. 

You  have  the  map  made  by  railway  engineers  of 
the  route  from  Ambukol  to  Metemma,  which  must 
have  all  information,  wells,  &c.,  c&c.  I  should  put 
five  station  forts  along  the  line,  and  when  I  made 
my  debouch  at  Metemma  I  should  split  off  one  de- 


238  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

tachment  to  capture  Berber,  and  another  towards 
Kartoum,  taking  care  of  any  guns  in  Shoboloha  defile 
(during  which  passage  I  should  march  the  men,  and 
not  leave  them  in  the  steamers  or  boats).  I  would 
make  my  base  at  Metemma  for  all  operations  in  the 
Soudan  connected  with  the  Nile  Valley  —  the  num- 
bers I  have  put  for  the  forts  along  road  are  probably 
in  excess  of  what  woidd  be  required. 

The  Arab  force  which  went  towards  the  north 
(?  Shendy)  consists  of  200  footmen,  and  50  horse. 

Two  men  came  in  from  the  South  Front  —  they 
say  the  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  is  with  the  Mahdi ;  and 
Waled  a  Goun  and  Abou  Gugliz  are  at  Giraffe. 
I  expect  that  the  Arabs  have  captured  one  of  our 
merchant's  boats  at  Half ey eh. 

We  have  1300  men  in  the  North  Fort,  yet  250 
Arabs  went  boldly  across  our  front  to  Halfeyeh,  and 
we  do  not  dare  to  show  our  noses ;  this  speaks  for 
our  morale. 

A  slave  came  in  at  Omdurman  ;  he  says  the  Mahdi 
says  he  will  not  fight  until  after  Moharrem  (to-day 
is  12th  Moharrem). 

Arabs  fired  on  the  lines  from  near  the  White  Nile 
to-day,  but  did  no  harm.  Not  being  able  to  sleep 
last  night,  I  was  late  in  getting  up,  and  consequently 
every  one  also  slept  and  no  proper  look-out  was  kept 
on  the  Arabs.  I  should  think  I  had  written  twenty 
orders  about  their  keeping  a  look-out,  but  it  is  of  no 
use.  The  Arabs  have  gone  back  to  Giraffe.  I  am 
going  to  make  the  officer  of  North  Fort  pay  compen- 
sation for  the  men  wounded,  and  to  the  families  of 
those  killed,  in  this  raid.      The  map  made  by  the 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  239 

railway  engineers  (1874-1875)  must  have  every  in- 
formation as  to  water  supply  on  Ambukol-Metemma 
road. 

In  reality,  tlie  relief  of  the  garrisons  is  only  a 
question  of  crossing  over  a  well-surveyed  road  of  150 
miles,  at  the  end  of  which  are  found  five  steamers 
and  nine  guns :  of  course  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  in  transport  arrangements,  but  no  particular 
danger. 

I  believe  we  (i.  e.  those  Shaggyeh)  lost  to-day 
twenty-three  soldiers  taken  prisoners,  one  killed,  one 
wounded  ;  seventeen  cows,  five  women,  eight  slaves, 
three  donkeys,  seven  horses,^^  twenty-four  Reming- 
ton rifles  ^^  captured ;  and  this  after  I  had  repeatedly 
warned  them  of  an  impending  attack,  and  specially 
warned  them  last  night  after  the  capture  of  the  three 
spies.  They,  these  Shaggyeh,  number  1200 ;  on 
the  other  side,  with  30  horses,  the  Arabs  were  not 
200 ;  they  made  no  attempt  to  defend  themselves ; 
dreadful  lot,  how  I  look  forward  to  their  disband- 
ment !  Had  I  left  them  at  Halfeyeh  what  a  time  I 
should  have  had  with  them.  The  Arabs  have  paid 
us  off  with  interest  for  our  cavalry  raids  of  a  few 
days  ago.  If  any  troops  come  up,  as  soon  as  the 
environs  are  clear  around  Kartoum,  I  would  recom- 
mend their  immediate  disbandment.     I  cannot  see 


38  Two  of  these  horses  returned  to-day ;  as  I  expect  the  riders  threw 
themselves  off  and  let  their  horses  loose,  and  that,  too,  at  a  distance  so 
great  that  the  Arabs  did  not  see  them  ! ! ! 

39  I  am  goin;^  to  make  them  pay  for  twenty-two  of  the  Remingtons, 
for  it  appears  doubtful  if  they  were  captured,  inasmuch  as  to-day  they 
asked  me  to  send  the  steamer  down  to  look  for  them.  I  expect  the  men 
simply  threw  them  down  and  bolted  upon  the  appearance  of  the  Arabs. 


240 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


any  reason  why  the  "  expedition  for  the  relief  of  the 
garrisons  "  should  not  have  captured  Berber^  and 
arrived  at  Kartoum  on  l^th  November  (Lord 
Mayor's  Show),  which  is  giving  ample  time;  say- 
ing that  troops  did  advance  from  Cairo  on  the  15th 
August,  which  I  guess  (from   Kitchener's    laconic 


Debbeb 


Ambukol 

.    -  :r>  SNtsgee  9 

"^    \    \ 

'  QS^'>».QKambok  wella 

^^^  '■••..  10  MiLes 

J°S    \pGebeI  Gelifwell 


\ 


.}0  MILES 
\ 
;-,0  Aboa  Halfe  wen 

V;..  12  MILCS 
^  ^.p  Gakdul  wens 

\.J5  MIUS 
Boo'VOBerea  ?  no  weO 

1.30  MILES 


BDo\OAJjpu  Klea  well 
kniu]  X 


despatch  of  31st  August)  was  the  case.  That  strong 
rumours  could  not  have  been  known  at  Debbeh  (for 
at  least  twenty  days)  that  Kartoum  steamers  were 
at  Metemma  (plundering  right  and  left)  is  most 
unlikely,  even  if  my  many  spies  (sent  with  notes  to 
this  effect)  did  not  get  through  one  of  their  number. 
These  rumours  should  have  pointed  out  that  the 
Ambukol-Metemma  road  was  the  road  to  follow  **^ 


*"  See  map  above.  —  Eu. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  241 

—  even  if  not  decided    on    before,   which    is    most 
probable. 

Route  Ambukol  to  Metemma.  —  Itdsterary  of 
Arabs. 


Ambukol  to  Nesgee 

.     24  hours 

Nesgee  to  Om  Haifa 

.     12     " 

Om  Haifa  to  Gakdul 

.     12     " 

Gakdul  to  Abou  JOea 

.     18     " 

Abou  Klea  to  Metemma  . 

.     12     " 

Caravan 

.     78     " 

Wells  plentifully  supplied. 

No  tvells  of  imjjort  on  flanks. 

I  expect  water  can  be  found  along  Wadi  Abou  Gir,  as 
water  is  found  at  Kambok,  which  is  on  a  higher  level.  I 
shaU  anticipate  no  danger  for  a  force  of  200  men  as  far 
as  Gebil  Gelif  well  —  that  takes  60  miles  off  tliis  march 
of  150  and  leaves  90  miles. 

In  the  centre  you  have  the  wells  Abou  Haifa  and  Gak- 
dul, 12  miles  apart.  This  central  portion  is  distant  Am- 
bukol 80  mUes,  Metemma  65  mdes.  There  apjjear  no 
weUs  on  flanks  where  Arabs  can  assemble  in  any  numbers. 

Octoher  31.  —  Three  men,  soldiers,  came  in  from 
the  Arabs  on  the  White  Nile  last  night.  To-day 
it  is  7§§  months,  or  233  days,  since  the  Arabs  ap- 
peared in  our  immediate  neighbourhood,  since  which 
date  we  have  had  no  peace. 

It  will  be  bitter  cold  in  the  desert,  and  I  think, 
of  all  the  deserts,  that  of  Dongola  is  the  coldest. 
I  do  not  think  I  should  send  Nutzi  Pasha  and  the 
Egyptians  you  take  out  of  the  steamers  down  further 

16 


242  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

than  Dongola,  for  the  moment,  for  if  you  do  you 
will  put  Dongola  on  the  qui  vive  as  to  the  evacuation. 
Certainly,  for  those  who  ai-e  for  a  rapid  retreat, 
having  a  tete  dit  jjojit  (so  to  sa}')  at  Metemma,  much 
facilitates  the  movement ;  for  the  garrisons  and  the 
people  of  Kartoum  and  Sennaar.  Sheudy-Metemma 
is  evidently  the  chief  strategical  point  of  the  Sou- 
dan ;  for  from  it  you  reach  Kartoum,  Sennaar,  and 
Berber  by  water,  and  Kassala  b^  the  Atbara  valley  ; 
but,  short  of  making  Fowler's  railway  to  Shendy,  I 
should  prefer  the  making  of  stations  along  the  Nile, 
for  a  peace  route  and  for  small  forces,  as  by  the 
Nile  you  get  free  of  camel  transport,  which  depends 
on  the  temper  of  the  Ai-ab  tribes  :  besides,  the  Nile 
route  is  cheaper,  and  could  be  put  into  execution 
with  one  high  Nile. 

The  three  soldiers  who  came  in  last  night  have 
one  sergeant-major  among  them.  He  says  Mah- 
mound  Ivhalifa  ^^Tote  to  his  father,  who  is  with 
Mahomet  Achmet,  in  which  he  says  that  the  English 
General  wants  him  to  get  camels  in  gi*eat  haste ;  that 
he  is  delaying  as  much  as  possible  ;  that  the  English 
General  wants  to  go  in  one  body  :  that  he  is  trying 
to  get  him  to  go  in  four  bodies;  that  Mahmound 
Khalifa  is  a  traitor,  like  all  his  family;  and  he 
should  catch  it,  for  I  expect  this  information  is  cor- 
rect. The  sergeant-major  says  that  Mahmotmd 
Khalifa  is  at  Dongola  or  Debbeh.  The  Mahdi  is 
going  into  a  cave  for  this  month  and  next ;  he  is 
now  in  his  cave.  All  the  Europeans  are  with  the 
Mahdi  (not  in  the  cave"),  Slatin  is  very  good 
friends  with  the  Mahdi,  and  sees  him  every  day  (?). 
<^This  is  rather  against  the  cave  report.) 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  243 

The  mysterious  Frenchman  is  not  with  the  Mahdi, 
but  in  Kordofan.  The  letter  which  I  spoke  of  as 
coming  from  Mahmound  Khalifa  arrived  at  the 
Mahdi's  camp  fifteen  days  ago,  so  left  Dongola 
about  twent^'-two  days  ago  (9th  October).  Can 
it  be  remembered  whether  at  that  time,  viz.  9th 
October,  any  altercation  took  place  on  subject  of 
march  ?  ^^  In  the  letter  is  a  remark  that  the  Eng- 
lish General  said  he  wished  "  all  to  go  together,  for 
he  would  not  leave  a  sick  man  behind."  The  man 
says  Mahmound  Khalifa  wrote  another  letter  to  his 
father,  stating  the  start  from  Dongola  towards  Ber- 
ber. I  can  produce  the  sergeant-major  who  gave 
this  information. 

Church  parade  much  as  usual.  I  expect  they  ex- 
hibited the  captives  of  yesterday.  It  is  extraordi- 
nary if  we  are  employing  Mahmound  Khalifa,  when 
his  father,  Hussein  Pasha  Khalifa,  is  a  so-called 
prisoner  of  the  Mahdi.  Stewart  knows,  I  think,  that 
the  father  gave  up  Berber  by  more  or  less  treach- 
ery. 

I  hope  the  Mudir  of  Dongola  will  look  after  this 
man.  The  sergeant-major  says  "  that  the  Mahdi  de- 
clares "  he  will  execute  the  Sheikh  el  Islam  (whom 
I  put  in  prison)  for  preventing  our  surrendering, 
by  which  bit  of  news  /  read  that  an  adherent  of  tlie 
Sheikh  el  Islam  got  some  friends  of  his  to  bribe  the 

*i  It  was  about  this  date  that  the  recall  of  Lord  Wolseley  was  gen- 
erally rumoured  at  home  and  abroad.  On  the  10th  of  October  this  * 
rumoured  recall  was  officially  contradicted.  The  Times,  however, 
said:  "  We  have  every  contidence  in  the  veracitj'  and  good  information 
of  our  correspondent,  but  so  incredible  did  his  statement  seem  at  first 
sight  that  we  have  made  further  inquiries,  in  order  to  be  quite  sure  there 
was  no  mistake  in  its  transmission."  —  Ed. 


244  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

sergeant-major  to  say  this  while  on  his  way  to  the 
Palace. 

Three  men  more  have  come  in  —  one  sergeant, 
one  corporal,  and  a  slave  —  from  the  Arabs  at  Om- 
durman.  They  say  many  Arabs  leave  daily  for 
Kordofan ;  the  Mahdi  has  sent  three  companies  of 
regulars  to  bring  back  deserters  ;  the  Mahdi  has 
been  taking  women  from  others,  which  makes  the 
Arabs  doubt  his  holiness ;  he  has  only  forty  rounds 
for  each  Krupp  gun,  of  which  he  has  two.  The 
slave  was  a  great  fat  bull-faced  feUow.  He  was 
honest,  for  when  I  asked  him  why  he  came  here,  he 
said,  "  because  he  got  so  little  to  eat  with  the 
Arabs."  His  apjaearance  belied  his  words.  These 
men  said  nothing  of  the  cave  business.  The  living 
skeleton  in  hospital  (Stewart  knows  him)  departed 
this  life  yesterday  —  I  will  not  saj^,  deeply  regretted, 
except  by  me  in  a  small  way,  for  I  knew  him  so 
long.  It  turns  out  that  the  Shaggj'^eh  chief  who 
commanded  in  the  North  Fort  slept  in  toAvn  the  day 
before  yesterday  night,  and  so  was  absent  at  yester- 
day morning's  catastrophe ;  also  the  officer  Osman 
Bey,  who  went  down  to  Berber  with  steamers  to  es- 
cort the  Abbas  past  Berber,  and  who  let  the  Fas- 
cher  pursue  the  Abbas,  never  reported  this  man's 
absence ;  I  have  turned  them  out,  and  cut  them  each 
a  month's  pay.  (No  sentry  as  usual,  on  North  Fort. 
They  are  incorrigible.  2  P.  M.  Though  their  men 
have  gone  to  look  for  missing  rifles,  I  ordered  them 
thirty  blows  :  i.  e.  the  sentries.) 

Two  cows  have  kindly  walked  into  Omdurman 
Fort.     The  Arabs   fired  a  few  shots  on  the  lines 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  245 

near  the  White  Nile,  which  did  not  reach  them  ;  I 
expect  the  Arab  chiefs  send  out  the  regulars  and 
tell  them  to  fire  on  the  lines,  and  the  regulars  obey 
orders  much  as  my  orders  are  obeyed  here.  The 
North  Fort  hate  my  telescope ;  day  and  night  I 
work  them.  It  is  one  of  Chevalier's,  of  Paris,  which 
I  picked  up  here  and  gave  X5  for ;  it  is  by  far  tlie 
best  glass  I  ever  saw.  Commander  J.  Baker,  R.  N., 
has  the  hest  opera-glasses  ;  he  got  them  from  me  at 
Berberah  in  1878,  in  exchange  ;  they  belonged  to 
the  Egyptian  Government.  It  was  the  father  of 
Hussein  Pasha  Khalifa  who  led  the  Egyptians  into 
the  Soudan  in  1823.  The  family  comes  from  As- 
souan ;  for  this,  the  grant  of  monopoly  of  commerce 
through  Korosko  desert  was  given  to  the  family. 
It  was  taken  away  from  them  in  Ismail  Pasha 
Ayoub's  time,  about  1872,  and  I  restored  it  to  them. 
I  heard  the  Mahdi  gave  them  this  monopoly  after 
the  fall  of  Berber,  or  rather  agreed  to  their  retain- 
ing it.  I  think  the  only  good  one  of  the  family  was 
Sheildi  Hamid,  who  died  this  year.  I  sent  the 
horsemen  of  these  Shaggyeh  out  to  the  scene  of  yes- 
terday's disaster  ;  they  recovered  a  horse  !  two  don- 
keys !  and  three  Remingtons  !  and  found  the  body 
of  one  of  their  slaves.  I  am  going  to  make  them 
pay  for  the  lost  Remingtons,  nineteen  in  number 
now.  I  cannot  afford  to  have  Remingtons  thrown 
away  like  that.  This  recalls  to  my  mind  how,  when 
I  had  700  men  in  the  North  Fort,  which  consisted 
of  two  houses  distant  sixty  yards  apart,  the  great 
Melon,  who  was  in  the  house  where  the  telegraph 
office  is,  declined  to  open  the  door  of  liis  house,  and 


246  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

sent  a  message  to  the  other  house,  for  fear  of  the 
Arabs,  who  were  camped  three  miles  distant.  It 
was  like  this : 


R  I  1/  £  8 


I  have  ever  felt  the  greatest  insecurity  respecting 
the  lines,  for  I  believe  one  hundred  determined  men 
would  carry  them  with  «ase,  if  they  made  their  at- 
tack on  the  Shaggyeh  or  Bashi  Bazouk  part.  These 
creatures  used  to  shut  themselves  into  the  houses  at 
about  7  P.  M.,  and  never  go  out  till  it  was  broad 
daylight ;  they  were  not  eighty  yards  from  the  river. 
The  Cairo  Turkish  Bashi  Bazouks,  the  Shaggyeh, 
and  the  fellaheen  soldiers,  I  will  back  against  any 
troops  in  the  world  for  cowardice .'  I  expect  the 
reason  why  the  Arabs  did  not  take  the  three  recap- 
tured horses  was  because  they  w^ere  as  friohtened 
nearly  as  our  men  (vide  p.  239)  ;  the  worst  of  it  is, 
that  it  is  taken  generally  as  a  thing  of  "  matter  of 
course''  by  the  Kartoum  people,  and,  one  may  say, 
officers  ;  no  one  is  a  bit  put  out  or  ashamed  ;  it 
teaches  no  experience.  Vide  the  absence  of  sen- 
tries on  the  fort  to-day,  who,  I  expect,  cannot  sit 
down  over  -  comfortably  to-night  after  their  thirty 
blows. 

One  cannot  help  feeling  amused  at  these  Shag- 
gyehs,  for  they  are  the  most  arrant  braggadocios, 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  247 

as  are  the  Cairo  Turkish  Bashi  Bazouks,  and  when 
jou  come  up,  if  you  do,  you  will  see  how  they  will 
exhibit.  They  have  little  kettledrums  about  a  span 
in  diameter  ;  whenever  I  hear  them  1  feel  viciously 
inclined.  This  dates  back  many  years.  '  The  Shag- 
gyeh  are  very  quiet  to-day  ;  they  are  all  boxed  up 
in  the  houses  ;  very  few  have  ventured  out  more 
than  2000  yards.  The  report  is  that  they  are 
ashamed,  which,  if  words  could  make  them  so,  they 
ought  to  be  ;  but  I  doubt  it.  They  have  not  beaten 
their  kettledrums  to-night ;  yes,  they  have  begun  to 
beat  them  now.  On  one  occasion,  when  I  had  two 
guns  in  their  fort,  I  had  a  truly  miserable  night ;  for 
a  cow  would  have  taken  the  fort,  though  there  were 
1200  men  in  it.  It  was  more  for  the  guns  than  for 
them  that  I  was  anxious.  The  horse,  which  was  re- 
covered to-day,  was  saddled  and  was  bridled,  but, 
like  a  wise  brute,  as  he  could  not  eat  with  the  bit  in 
his  mouth,  he  put  his  foot  on  the  bridle  and  broke  it 
off.  I  telegraphed  to  the  rider  "  that  I  felt  sure  he 
coidd  not  look  him  in  the  face  after  leaving  him  out 
all  night  for  nothing  with  the  saddle  on."  ^^ 

November  1.  —  The  Arabs  came  up  to  their  old 
fort  in  front  of  Bourr^  this  morning  and  fired  a  few 
shots ;  they  did  not  stay  five  minutes  there.  A 
Boulak  Basha,  his  son,  and  two  slaves  came  into 
Omdui'man  and  report  the  Mahdi  is  in  the  cave ; 

42  It  is  interesting  to  note  how  often  General  Gordon  breaks  away 
abruptly  from  a  subject  which  is  irritating  him,  and  deals  with  one 
which  has  a  touch  of  humour  in  it.  He  never  does  this  when  he  is 
discussing  or  explaining  any  particular  point;  it  is  only  when  he  is 
thoroughly  annoyed  with  his  subject  that  he  suddenly  leaves  it.  — Ed. 


248  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

that  Slatin  has  retained  all  his  property;  that  the 
Arabs  continue  to  desert  the  Mahdi,  who  sends  the 
regulars  after  them  ;  that  the  deserting  Arabs  fight 
the  soldiers,  and  have  killed  many  of  them ;  that  the 
Arabs  generally  doubt  the  mission  of  the  Mahdi, 
and  wish  for  the  return  of  the  Government.  The 
Mahdi  is  not  going  to  fight  during  Moharrem  and 
Saphia  months.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  Arabs  de- 
serted yesterday.  The  Mahdi  sent  the  regulars  after 
them,  and  four  regulars  were  killed,  and  the  de- 
serters got  away.  Fifty  to  one  hundred  per  diem 
run  away.  These  people  are  a  fine  lot.  The  mer- 
chants of  the  market  have  been  refusing  to  give 
more  than  three  and  a  half  reals  for  a  sovereign,  five 
to  six  reals  being  the  proper  rate ;  so  I  captured 
nine  of  the  chief  of  them,  and  have  sent  them  to  the 
lines  with  a  pretended  order  to  send  them  out  to 
Waled  a  Goim,  but  with  orders  to  keep  them  on 
the  lines.  I  hope  this  will  cure  them.  I  shall  let 
them  in  again  when  they  sign  a  paper  agreeing  to 
my  terms.  Of  course  it  is  tyranny,  but  there  is  no 
other  course  to  be  pursued.  The  nine  culprits,  three 
soldiers  with  fixed  bayonets  before,  three  soldiers 
with  ditto  behind,  and  a  mounted  cavass  on  each 
flank,  are  wending  their  way  to  the  lines  through 
the  market.  Quite  a  procession  !  My  servants  are 
my  staff.  I  never  hear  these  sort  of  things  from  the 
officials,  who  are  bribed,  I  expect,  to  keep  silence. 

7  P.  M.  A  small  bright  fire  in  direction  of  and 
below  Halfeyeh,  lasting  scarcely  a  minute.  I  flatter 
myself  I  keep  a  good  look-out.*^ 

^  General  Gordon  was  in  the  habit  of  passing  a  great  part  of  the  day 
and  of  the  night  on  the  roof  of  his  Palace.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  249 

Two  soldiers  came  to  Omdurman,  escaping  from 
the  Arabs  this  evening.     Nothing  new. 

One  of  the  trying  things  of  this  existence  is  the 
way  that  one  is  waylaid  as  one  goes  out  with  peti- 
tions for  dhoora,  and  howled  at.  These  are  the  times 
when  one  feels  amiably  disposed  towards  the  gentle- 
men who  have  ruled  in  Cairo  for  the  last  seven  years. 

November  2.  —  Those  men  I  sent  out  ostensibly 
to  the  Arabs  have  given  in,  and  I  have  let  them 
back  into  town.  I  hate  these  coercive  measures. 
But  what  is  to  be  done  ?  This  frightening  them  is 
better  than  putting  them  in  prison,  or  chaining  them. 
No  words  are  of  any  avail,  or  orders.  Two  Dervishes 
with  their  weapons  presented  themselves  before  lines 
this  morning,  saying  they  had  a  letter  from  the 
Mahdi  for  me  (at  Mesalamieh  Gate).  I  said, 
"  Leave  the  letter  and  go  back  ;  I  will  not  let  you 
in.     It  is  no  use  any  more  writing." 

The  Arabs  fired  on  the  lines  near  the  White  Nile. 
We  answered,  and  committed  some  damage,  from  all 
appearance  ;  for  the  whole  Dem  turned  out.  I  have 
forbidden  all  fii-ing  on  the  Arabs,  unless  they  come 
so  near  as  to  injure  our  people  ;  for  I  expect  this 
vague  firing  is  only  performed  by  the  captured  sol- 
diers to  conform,  in  appearance,  to  the  orders  of  the 
Arab  chiefs. 

Letter  has  come  in  ;  ^*  it  is  an  address  to  the  whole 
town ;  it  has  no  seal,  the  usual  rubbish  about  the 
Mahdi  being  Mahdi,  &c.  A  soldier  came  in  from 
the  Arabs  at  Omdurman  ;  he  says  the  Mahdi  is  not 
in  the  cave,  but  in  a  tent  (very  stupid  man  !).    Some 

^  Appendix  V. 


250  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

one  has  stolen  93,000  okes  of  biscuit ;  this  robbery 
took  place  nearly  a  year  ago,  and  was  only  found 
out  two  days  ago.  The  people  of  the  town  wonder 
at  one's  getting  no  information  ;  the  last  I  had  was 
from  Kitchener,  dated  31st  August,  and  received 
17th  September,  now  forty-six  days  ago.  Had  our 
people  sent  to  Kassala  vid  Massowah,*^  there  is  no 
doubt  information  could  have  got  through,  but  it  is 
no  use  saying  any  more  on  the  subject.  I  suppose 
you  acted  according  to  "  your  conscience,  best  of 
your  ability,  and  custom  of  war  in  like  cases." 

3.30  p.  M.  Sentries  off  the  roof  of  the  North 
Fort  again  ;  sent  over  to  bave  them  flogged ! 

Rectified  list  of  biscuit  is  266,430  okes. 

Dhoora  is  2110  ardebs  in  magazine  to-day  —  six 
weeks'  consumption ! !  and  then  the  sponge  must  be 
thrown  up. 

I  covdd  write  volumes  of  pent-up  wrath  on  this 
subject  if  I  did  not  believe  things  are  ordained  and 
all  work  for  the  best.  I  am  not  at  all  inclined  to 
order  haK  rations  with  a  view  to  any  prolongation 
of  our  blockade  ;  if  I  did  so,  it  would  probably  end 
in  a  catastrophe  ^  before  the  time,  in  which,  if  full 
rations  are  given,  we  should  have  exhausted  our 
supplies.  I  should  be  an  angel  (which  I  am  not, 
needless  to  say)  if  I  was  not  rabid  with  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government ;  but  I  hope  I  may  be  quiet  on 
the  subject  of  this  Soudan  and  Cairo  business,  with 
its  indecision  ;  but  to  lose  all  my  beautiful  black 

46  Massowah  is  only  466  miles  from  Kartoum,  and  less  than  half  that 
distance  from  Kassala.  —  Ed. 

46  L  e.  In  mutiny  or  a  stampede  to  the  Madhi.  "The  belly  governs 
the  whole  world."  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  251 

soldiers   is  enough  to  make  one  angry  with  those 
who  have  the  direction  of  our  future.*'^ 

Arabs  fired  four  rounds  this  evening  towards  the 
lines  near  White  Nile,  but  did  no  harm  (one  shell 
fell  in  the  town)  with  their  Krupp. 

JV^ovember  3.  —  Two  women  and  one  boy  came 
into  Omdurman  from  the  Arabs ;  also  seven  cows 
walked  into  the  same  place.  To-day  is  our  anni- 
versary of  Hicks's  defeat.  I  have  let  out  several  of 
the  men  whom  I  had  arrested  as  adherents  of  the 
Mahdi ;  they  have  had  a  good  warning. 

4  P.  M.  The  Bordee7i  in  sight :  I  have  let  out  the 
Sheikh  el  Islam,  Cadi,  and  the  old  Mudir.  A  sol- 
dier came  from  the  Arabs  to  Omdurman ;  he  says 
Slatin  is  a  prisoner  for  the  last  three  days.  With 
this  man  came  in  a  spy  from  the  Mahdi,  whom  I 
put  in  prison.  The  Mahdi  has  sent  regulars  to  the 
rear.  I  shall  send  down  the  Bordeen  the  day  after 
to-morrow  to  Metemma,  and  shall  send  the  debris^ 
Tongi  &  Co.,  down  with  the  steamer,  and  you  can 
send  them  on  to  Cairo.  I  think  this  is  noble  on 
my  part,  for  you  get  their  boats  and  they  use  your 
camels.  The  post  has  come  in  from  the  Bordeen. 
Kitchener's  letter,  saying  '-'•  Ahhas  was  captured" 
was  a  terrible  blow  (I  send  back  the  letters  sent  to 
Stewart  in  envelope).^^ 

Kitchener  asks  who  were  on  board :  Stewart, 
Power,   and  Herbin,   the  French   Consul,   and  the 

^"^  Here  again  General  Gordon  is  really  angry,  and  breaks  off  with  a 
humourous  touch  about  his  black  soldiers,  so  that  he  may,  as  it  were, 
hold  himself  in.  — Ed. 

^8  Appendix  X. 


252  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Greeks  named  in  the  mai'gin  on  the  other  side.*^ 
I  cannot  understand  it,  for  the  general  ojjinion  was 
that  the  route  was  quite  safe  for  the  Abbas,  which 
had  a  mountain  gun  and  some  fifty  soldiers  in  her. 
I  can  only  put  it  down  to  some  treachery  on  the 
part  of  the  Arabs  pretending  to  be  friends. 

I  cannot  decipher  Lord  Wolseley's  telegram,^*^  for 
Stewart  took  the  cipher-books.  (Please  inform  For- 
eign Office  of  this,  for  if  he  [Stewart]  is  killed,  and 
the  Abbas  captured,  they,  the  cipher-books,  are  in 
the  hands  of  the  Mahdi.)  I  think  cipher-messages 
are  in  some  countries,  like  this,  a  mistake. 

The  Shendy  steamers  sent  back  ten  wounded 
from  Shendy,  one  seriously ;  and  I  hear  they  had 
five  killed.  For  goodness'  sake  do  not  send  back 
any  Egyptians,  noto  in  steamers,  to  Kartoum ;  I 
include  Pashas,  officers,  men,  and  exclude  the  sail- 
ors, engineers,  and  captains  of  steamers. 

If  the  Abbas  is  lost,  I  hope  a  Court  of  Inquiry 
will  be  held  on  the  departure  of  Col.  Stewart  and 
Messrs.  Power  and  Herbin ;  for  when  they  left  we 
had  no  news  of  an  Expedition  of  Relief  —  vide  my 
Journal;  also  it  was  generally  believed  that  the  pas- 

^9  List  of  Greeks  who  went  in  the  steamer  Abbas,  10  Sept.  '84. 

Demitrios  Kapnoulas.  Demosthen  Kapilos. 

George  Kepetzakos.  Demitrios  Georgopoulos. 

Herial  Bolaiiaki.  George  Kontis. 

Alexandre  Genacari.  Xenophon  Apostolidls. 

Nasum  Abagui.  George  Tantzos. 

Nessim  Morinos.  Jean  Stergioii. 

Demitrios  Perdicakis.  Nicolas  Kouvaras. 

Michel  Nomikos.  Jean  Dermitrzakis. 

Stauros  Papadakis.  Michel  Chatzi  Christodoulou. 

Jean  Prospion. 
^  Appendix  X- 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  253 

sage  of  the  Abbas  down  was  an  absolute  certainty 
without  clanger.  I  also  add  that  Stewart,  Herbin, 
and  Power  left  of  their  own  free  will,  and  without 
any  order  from  me,  as  the  papers  captured  would 
show,  if  ever  available.  I  refused  to  order,  but  I 
said,  "  If  you  like  to  go,  I  will  assist  you.  to  go.  It 
is  at  your  own  risk.  The  service  you  will  perform 
is  great,  and  you  can  do  no  good  here."  /  wrote 
this  to  Col.  Steivart,  in  an  official  letter. 

November  4.  —  I  received  private  letters  from 
Stanley,  dated  Congo,  5th  May,  and  from  Sir  S. 
Baker,  1st  June.  I  like  the  official  note  written  on 
the  envelope  of  Sir  Samuel  Baker's  letter  to  me  — 
"Communications  avec  la  Soudan  interromp^es." 
I  should  think  the  communications  were  interrom- 
pees ! ! ! 

The  Arabs  have  one  gun  at  Shendy  and  one  gun  at 
Metemma ;  they  struck  the  Mansoxorali  four  times. 

I  looked  upon  the  descent  of  the  Abbas  as  a  cer- 
tainty. I  looked  upon  the  relief  •of  Kartoum  as 
most  uncertain ;  hence  I  sent  down  the  cipher-books 
of  the  Foreign  Office.  Perhaps  the  Abbas  got 
wrecked  on  the  Cataract.  It  is  very  sad.  There  is 
a  report  that  the  Sheildi  el  Obeyed  is  dead ;  if  true, 
it  will  simplify  that  vexed  question  with  Foreign 
Office  of  the  man  and  the  city.  Arabs  fired  five 
shells  at  the  lines  to-day ;  we  answered  with  two, 
and  they  retired.  If  the  capture  of  steamer  is 
corroborated,  tell  French  Consul-General  that  the 
Mahdi  has  his  cipher,  which  was  with  Herbin.  If  the 
Abbas  was  captured  by  treachery,  then  I  am  not  to 


254  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

blame  ;  neither  am  I  to  blame  if  she  struck  a  roch^ 
for  she  drew  under  two  feet  of  water ;  and  fifty 
boats  (sailing)  used  to  go  down  yearly  to  Cairo, 
with  high  Nile  ;  if  they  loere  attacked  and  overpow- 
ered, then  I  am  to  blame,  for  I  ought  to  have  fore- 
seen the  chance,  and  prevented  their  going.  But 
when  they  left  we  knew  nothing  of  the  Expedition, 
and  I  passed  them  under  escort  through  Berber, 
which  was  the  apparent  only  danger  they  had  to 
meet.  The  Mahdi,  if  it  is  true  that  he  has  captured 
the  Abbas,  found  two  of  his  own  seals,^^  which  we 
had  forged  but  did  not  use,  also  all  his  letters  to 
me,  and  the  Journal  was  in  most  careful  detail,  hour 
by  hour,  so  to  say.  Steamer  leaves  at  daybreak, 
5th  November,  1884. 

C.  G.  Gordon. 

61  See  Mahdi's  remarks  upon  this  in  Appendix  U. 


BOOK  VI. 


EVENTS  AT  KARTOUM. 
From  5  November  to  14  December,  1884. 


General  Gordon's  Journal 
Vol.  VI. 
To  be  pruned  down,  if  published. 

C.  G.  GORDON. 


Copy  of  Letter  that  accompanied  this  Diary. 
Sir,  Kartoum,  10  Nov.,  1884. 

Since  departure,  10  Sept.,  of  Lt.-Colonel  Stewart,  C.  M. 
G.,  I  have  kept  a  daily  journal  of  all  events  at  Kartoum,  which 
contains  also  nay  private  opinions  upon  certain  facts,  which 
perhaps  it  is  just  as  well  you  should  know  confidentially.  You 
can  of  course  make  extracts  of  all  official  matter,  and  will 
naturally  leave  my  private  opinions  out  in  the  case  of  pubhca- 
tion.  I  have  already  sent  five  portions  of  this  Journal,  and  now 
send  the  sixth  portion. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be. 
Sir, 
Your  most  obedient  servant, 

C.  G.  GORDON. 

The  Chief  of  the  Staff, 
Soudan  Expeditionary  Force. 


JOURNAL. 


EVENTS  AT  KARTOUM. 

November  5.  —  Steamer  Bordeen  left  this  even- 
ing for  Metemma.  According  to  all  accounts  the 
presence  of  the  steamers  at  Shendy  and  Metemma 
cause  the  Arabs  great  annoyance,  for  the  Arab  chief 
of  Berber  keeps  calling  for  them  to  come  down  and 
help  him ;  while  they  say,  "  If  we  do,  then  the 
steamers  will  pillage  our  houses."  I  cannot  get  out 
of  my  head  the  Abbas  catastrophe  ;  that  the  Abbas 
(with  her  970  bullet  marks  on  her,  her  gun,  and  her 
parapets,  which  were  bullet-proof),  could  be  cap- 
tured by  force,  seems  impossible  ;  that  she  ran  ujaon 
a  rock  seems  unlikely,  for  she  had  her  sides  de- 
fended by  buffers,  sunk  one  foot  in  water.  I  also 
had  warned  them  against  ever  anchoring  by  the 
bank,  also  to  take  wood  from  isolated  spots ;  in  fact, 
as  far  as  human  foresight  goes,  I  did  all  my  possi- 
ble. Why  did  you  let  them  go  ?  The  matter  was 
thus.  I  determined  to  send  the  Abbas  down  with 
an  Arab  captain.  Herbin  asked  to  be  allowed  to 
go.  I  jumped  at  his  offer.  Then  Stewart  said  he 
would  go,  if  I  would  exonerate  him  from  deserting 
me.  I  said  you  do  not  desert  me.  1:1  cannot 
go ;  but  if  you  go,  you  do  great  service.     I  then 

17 


258  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

wrote  him  an  official ;  he  wanted  me  to  write  him 
an  order.  I  said  "  No,  for  though  I  fear  not  respon- 
sibility, I  will  not  put  you  in  any  danger  in  which  I 
am  not  myself."  I  wrote  them  a  letter,  couched 
thus :  "  Abbas  is  going  down  ;  you  say  you  are  will- 
ing to  go  in  her,  if  I  think  you  can  do  so  in  honour 
—  you  can  go  in  honour,  for  you  can  do  nothing 
here,  and  if  you  go  you  do  me  service  in  telegraph- 
ing my  views."  You  will  notice  the  number  of 
Greeks.  They  were  a  body-guard  I  ordered  and 
paid  highly,  to  prevent  any  treachery  on  the  part  of 
the  crew.  Thus  the  question  of  treachery  was  duly 
weighed  by  me  and  guarded  against,  as  far  as  I 
could  —  both  on  the  part  of  the  crew  and  on  the 
part  of  the  inhabitants  —  and  I  told  them  to  anchor 
mid  stream,  and  not  to  take  wood  except  in  isolated 
spots.  ^ 

I  escorted  them  by  two  steamers  past  every  place 
where  danger  could  be  apprehended,  viz.,  Berber 
and  Shendy.  They  appear  to  have  been  captured 
in  a  comparatively  thinly  populated  place,  below 
Abou  Hanied.  I  feel  somehow  convinced  they  were 
captured  by  treachery  —  the  Arabs  pretending  to 
be  friendly  —  and  surprising  them  at  night.  I  will 
own  that,  without  reason  (apparently,  for  the  chorus 
was,  that  the  ti'ijy  loas  safe)  I  have  never  been  com- 
fortable since  they  left.  Stewart  was  a  man  who 
did  not  chew  the  cud,  he  never  thought  of  danger  in 

1  It  is  impossible  to  read  this  without  a  feeling  of  admiration  for  the 
thorough  wa3'  in  which  General  Gordon  examined  into  the  minutest  de- 
tails of  everything  himself.  Every  precaution  human  foresight  could 
conceive  he  took  to  ensure  the  safety  of  the  Abbas  and  her  crew  ;  having 
done  this,  her  fate  was  in  higher  hands  than  his.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOUR.NAL  259 

prospective;  he  was  not  a  bit  suspicious  (while  I 
am  made  up  of  it).  I  can  see  in  imagination  the 
whole  scene,2  the  Sheikh  inviting  them  to  land,  say- 
ing, "  Thank  God  the  Malidi  is  a  liar  "  —  bringing 
in  wood  —  men  going  on  shore  and  dispersed.  The 
Abbas  with  her  steam  down,  then  a  rush  o£  wild 
Arabs,  and  all  is  over  !  A  spy  said  something  of  a 
chief  having  pretended  to  be  friendly,  and  when  the 
Abbas  was  near,  rushing  on  her,  but  then  he  said 
the  Abbas  turned  on  them,  and  killed  seventy-two 
or  seventy-three  (see  back  page  of  this  Journal).^ 
It  is  very  sad,  but  being  ordained,  we  must  not  mur- 
mur. I  look  on  it  as  being  a  Nemesis  on  the  death 
of  the  two  Pashas. 

2  Compare  General  Gordon's  account  with  the  account  given  by  the 
Mudir  of  Dongola:  —  "A  certain  Faki  Walad  Ahmet,  who  appears 
trustworthy,  has  arrived  here,  stating  that  he  has  heard  that  after  Gen- 
eral Gordon's  return  to  Kartouni  a  steamer,  with  fortj^  men  on  board, 
partly  Europeans  and  partly  Egyptians,  besides  five  negroes  and  three 
servants,  arrived  at  Salamat,  where  she  ran  aground,  but  did  not 
founder.  The  population,  aware  of  the  fate  of  Berber,  and  being  much 
alarmed,  several  persons  from  the  steamer  went  ashore  in  order  to  reas- 
sure the  natives,  declaring  that  they  had  not  come  to  make  war,  but  to 
purchase  camels  in  order  to  cross  the  desert  to  Merow^.  The  Sheikhs 
Soliman  and  Abu  Noman,  and  the  uncle  of  Faki  Osman,  agreed  to  see 
to  their  conveyance,  and  provided  a  guide,  who  was  to  conduct  the 
party.  Those  on  board  were  so  pleased  with  this  attention  that  they 
presented  one  of  the  Sheikhs  with  a  gold  sword,  the  uncle  with  a  silver 
sword,  and  the  guide  with  a  rich  dress,  whereupon  the  Sheikhs  re- 
quested them  to  leave  the  steamer  and  accept  their  hospitality  until 
preparations  had  been  completed  for  crossing  the  desert.  The  invita- 
tion was  accepted,  and  the  party  entered  a  house,  where  thej'  were  all 
massacred.  The  Sheikhs  afterwards  returned  to  the  steamer  and  killed 
most  of  them  on  board.  Of  forty  persons  onh'  fourteen  were  spared, 
and  these  were  taken  prisoners."  The  Sub-Mudir,  not  knowing  if 
there  were  any  Europeans  among  the  survivors,  had  sent  messengers 
for  further  intelligence.  —  Ed. 

8  /.  e.  details  of  the  fighting  strength  of  the  Abbas.  —  Ed. 


260  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

I  do  sincerely  hope  you  will  have  a  strict  examina- 
tion into  the  question  of  Stewart,  Power,  and  Herbin 
going  down.  What  makes  me  think  so  much  of 
the  capture  being  by  treachery  is,  that  the  two  sail- 
ing-boats which  went  with  the  Abhas  have  not  ar- 
rived at  Debbeh,  for  if  the  Abbas  struck  on  a  rock, 
why  could  not  the  boats  come  on?  I  expect  they 
were  all  caught  at  one  coup.  11  P.  m.  last  night 
Arabs  fired  twelve  shells  into  the  town  from  their 
Krupps  on  the  South  Front ;  they  did  not  frighten 
us  and  did  no  harm.  At  midnight  they  fired  two 
or  three  volleys  of  musketry  with  no  effect.  Four 
soldiers  came  in  from  the  Arabs  at  Omdurman. 
They  state  the  Mahdi  sent  a  party  of  Arabs  to  Sen- 
naar ;  the  garrison  sallied  out  and  killed  nearly  all 
of  them.  Also  that  the  Baggara  Arabs,  under  pre- 
tence of  getting  better  pasturage  for  their  cattle, 
asked  the  Mahdi  to  let  them  go  from  his  camp  some 
distance  ;  he  agreed,  and  they  have  bolted  —  they  are 
his  best  horsemen  —  also  that  the  people  no  longer 
regard  the  Mahdi  as  before.  Hussein  Pasha  Khalifa 
is  ffood  friends  with  the  Mahdi.  The  Arabs  came 
near  Bourr^  and  fired  a  few  shots,  and  then  went 
back.  I  expect  that  the  Arabs  sent  the  regulars  out, 
and  go  through  this  as  a  mere  form.  One  of  these 
men  *  was  with  Slatin  Bey  when  he  surrendered,  and 
says  he  did  so  when  he  had  plenty  of  food  and  am- 
munition, and  that  he  (Slatin)  is  on  the  best  terms 
with  the  Mahdi.  We  shall  not  know  the  truth 
until  the  other  Europeans  get  out  of  the  Mahdi's 
clutches. 

4  Who  came  in. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  261 

Stewart  had  about  X60  in  gold  with  him,  and  evety 
-paper  connected  with  our  mission.  I  purposely  kept 
none  here,  for  one  did  not  know  what  one  day  would 
bring  forth  ;  when  he  left  on  the  10th  of  September 
we  had  lost  over  800  men  killed,  and  978  Reming- 
tons, with  a  lot  of  ammunition  on  4th  of  September, 
only  six  days  before  he  left.  Baker  tells  me  news : 
he  says  Clifford  Lloyd  has  left  on  account  of  row 
with  Nubar,  and  that  China  and  France  have  come 
to  terms. 

One  shell  from  the  Arabs  went  over  the  town  and 
fell  in  the  river. 

I  have  mentioned  that  Stewart's  Journal  contained 
all  events  from  1st  March,  1884,  to  10th  September, 
and  if  lost  there  is  only  the  Journal  of  the  Doctor, 
which  begins  7th  March,  1884. 

I  wish  the  correspondent  of  the  Times  to  know 
this,  and  to  be  told  that  the  Doctor  has  pi'omiseci  me 
that  the  Times  shall  have  the  first  offer  of  that  Jour- 
nal. Stewart  was  wounded  near  the  Palace,  at  6  A.  M. 
on  Sunday,  25th  May,  in  the  arm  (flesh  wound).  If 
Sennaar  has  beaten  back  the  Arabs  a  second  time  I 
cannot  see  how  it  is  possible  to  abandon  the  garrison, 
and  if  they  are  to  be  relieved,  I  see  at  least  a  delay 
of  four  months  ;  all  this  could  be  avoided  by  hand- 
ing the  Soudan  over  to  the  Sultan  with  a  subsidy. 
When  Stewart  left  we  were  at  the  lowest  ebb,  the 
Arabs  from  Kordofau  had  arrived  with  their  guns, 
and  our  three  steamers  were  just  in  from  Sennaar, 
with  seven  shot  holes  in  them. 

Hansall,  the  Austrian  Consul,  has  a  daily  journal ; 
Power  and  Herbin  had  one  also. 


262  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

I  have  captured  ^  all  the  European  telegrams 
which  we  sent  and  which  we  received.  I  shall  hand 
them  over  to  you,  as  they  are  in  cipher,  and  as  you 
may  have  the  F.  O.  cipher-books,  you  can  peruse 
them.  Stewart  (as  I  have  said)  carried  off  the 
cipher  books  with  him  ;  he  had  two  copies  of  the 
Journal,  but  I  did  not  like  to  ask  him  to  leave  one 
here,  as  I  said,  "you  can  send  one  home,  while  you 
keep  the  copy  to  refer  to." 

I  send  with  this  the  firman  of  Towfik  and  the  let- 
ters,^ respecting  the  troops  withdrawing,  which  I  re- 
ceived at  Cairo  on  the  23rd  January,  1884,  and  which 
have  not  been  promulgated. 

If  Stewart,  Power,  and  Herbin  died  because  they 
would  not  change  their  religion,  they  are  as  much 
martyrs  as  Peter  or  Paul. 

A  black  boy  of  ten  years  was  caught  by  the  Arabs 
outside  of  the  lines  this  morning,  collecting  grass, 
and  he  escaped  from  them  this  evening  and  came 
back  to  the  town  ;  he  is  a  smart  boy. 

If  the  Abbas  is  taken,  the  Mahdi  has  the  small 
seal  I  used  in  my  former  time,  and  he  captured  at 
fall  of  Berber  my  large  seal,  so  he  has  both.  If  it 
is  true,  the  Abbas  must  have  been  captured  between 

5  /.  e.  collected  them  from  the  different  offices  and  officials  in  Kartoum. 
They  have  not  been  given  over  by  the  Government.  —  Ed. 

Note.  —  On  the  opposite  page  is  an  extract  from  Lord  Lytton's 
speech,  cut  from  one  of  the  papers  :  "  Ask  General  Gordon,  if  he  ever 
comes  safely  home  to  us,  what  he  and  his  still  unrescued  garrison  have 
learned  to  think  of  the  high  sense  of  national  honour,  the  chivalrous 
courage,  the  unflinching  good  faith  of  Mr.  Gladstone  and  his  Radical 
Cabinet.' '     ( Three  cheers  were  given  for  Gordon. )  —  Ed. 

6  Appendix  Y. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  263 

Abou  Hamed  and  Merow^,  on  or  about  the  18th  Sep- 
tember. Now,  on  the  18th  September  the  Arabs 
must  have  known  of  Kitchener  being  at  Debbeh, 
since  he  wrote  to  me  from  that  place  on  81st  August. 
Probably  Stewart  was  lulled  into  security  in  feel- 
ing himself  so  near  Merowe,  and  on  account  of  the 
news  the  Sheikh  gave  him  of  the  advance  of  the 
expedition. 

Abou  Hamed  is  one  hundred  miles  from  Merowe, 
which,  with  the  current,  the  Abbas  could  do  in  twelve 
hours,  and  there  is  only  one  small  cataract  to  pass, 
which  is,  by  all  accounts,  an  easy  one.  Stewart  had 
a  supreme  contempt  for  the  Soudanese  people,  and 
for  their  courage,  which  I  do  not  share.  That  our 
men  are  not  heroes,  I  agree ;  but  we  had  against  us 
the  feeling  that  the  Arabs  were  ten  times  our  num- 
bers, while  we  had  received  no  reinforcements  what- 
ever.''^ If  he  (Stewart)  has  fallen,  it  is  because  he 
was  carried  away  by  the  idea  the  Arabs  would  not 
dare  to  do  anything.  Power  had  the  same  defect, 
viz.,  over-rashness  in  not  considering  the  material 
they  had  to  support  them.  You  may  be  very  strong 
yourself,  but  your  strength  is  of  no  avail  if  you  are 
supported  by  weaker  vessels.  The  rate  of  progress 
of  a  fleet  is  decided  by  the  speed  of  the  slowest  ves- 
sel ;  so  up  here  one  ought  to  work  as  if  the  whole  mass 
was  as  cowardly  as  the  greatest  coward  in  the  force. 
If  the  Abbas  went  on  a  rock  she  had  two  boats 
(which  I  expressly  mentioned  to  Stewart  were  to  be 
taken  in  case  of  such  an  accident),  and  they  could 

"  That  is  to  say,  the   men  were  depressed  by  the  apparent  remoteness 
of  their  chance  of  escape.—  Ed. 


264  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

have  got  into  them,  and,  with  the  current,  got  down 
easily.  I  sent,  in  1878,  a  boat  with  a  large  tank,  in 
which  were  four  hi2:)popotami  (infants) ;  it  got  down 
to  Cairo  in  fifty  days  from  here,  and  Stewart  had 
the  Reis,  or  pilot  of  that  boat,  in  the  Abbas.  Hu- 
manly speaking,  when  Stewart  left  here  the  condi- 
tion of  Kartoum  was  desperate ;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  when  once  the  Abbas  passed  Berber,  which  we 
escorted  her  past,  the  certainty  was  she  would  reach 
Dongola,  and  even  we  discussed  whether  Dongola 
might  not  have  fallen,  and  agreed  that  the  Abbas 
even  in  that  case  could  have  got  down  to  Wady 
Haifa,  in  which  case  I  told  Stewart  to  go  on  with  her 
to  Cairo.  Men  may  not  remember  the  case  of  Cap- 
tain .  .  .  who  took  a  middy  up  against  Taepings 
with  him,  which  middy  was  killed.  Middy's  father 
.  .  .  made  a  great  row  about  this.  Why  did  .  .  . 
take  the  middy  up,  &c.  I  say,  in  defence  of  my  let- 
ting Stewart  go,  that  both  he,  Power,  and  Herbin 
felt  our  situation  here  was  desperate  after  the  defeat 
at  El  foun  ;  that  I  had,  over  and  over  again,  said  it 
was  impossible  for  me  to  go,  physically  impossible, 
because  even  my  servants  would  have  betrayed  me 
(even  if  I  had  felt  inclined  to  leave),  and  I  would 
die  here  (even  going  so  far  as  to  have  two  mines 
brought  to  the  Palace  with  which  to  blow  it  up  if 
the  place  fell).  These  three  men's  ideas  were  that 
it  was  shabby  to  leave  me  ;  but  when  I  showed  them 
they  could  do  no  possible  good  by  being  prisoners, 
and  when  I  said  I  shall  send  the  Abbas  with  the 
Journal,  then,  first,  Herbin,  then  Stewart,  and  then 
Power,  said  they  would  go  in  her.     A  long  conver- 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  266 

sation  took  place  between  me  and  Stewart,  he  wish- 
ing me  to  order,  I  declining  to  do  so,  on  account  of 
eventualities  which  might  arise:  it  ended  in  my 
writing  the  letter  I  alluded  to  in  former  pages  of 
the  Journal.  I  avow  I  was  glad  they  went,  1.  be- 
cause I  thought  it  was  quite  safe ;  2.  because  I 
knew  if  Europe  knew  of  the  state  of  affairs  the 
Government  would  be  shamed  into  action. 

Remember  that  this  was  when  the  last  telegram  ^ 
from  Egerton  was  to  the  effect  that  "  Her  Majesty's 
Government  \^ould  pay  o?i  delivery  for  all  who  came 
down,  if  I  contracted  with  Arabs."  Stewart's  idea 
was  that  every  order  of  Her  Majesty's  Government, 
or  wish  that  they  expressed,  was  indisputable.  We 
often  discussed  the  nuisance  we  must  have  been  to 
Her  Majesty's  Government  in  being  sent  up  here, 
and  I  think  he  was,  to  some  degree,  actuated  by  a 
desire  to  aid  Her  Majesty's  Government  when  he 
went  down,  for  then  it  only  left  one  nuisance  (my- 
self), and  I  had  so  completely  exonerated  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government  by  my  letters,  and  the  notes  in 
his  Journal,  that  they  might,  as  far  as  I  was  con- 
cerned, have  let  the  garrison  fall.  On  my  part,  I 
do  not  think  I  could  have  done  Her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment a  better  service  than  to  have,  at  any  rate, 
tried  to  send  Stewart  down  with  Power  and  Herbin, 
for  certainly  it  only  left  a  small  remnant  here  of 
Europeans  (owe  of  whom  is  mad},  and  the  French 
Government  could  no  longer  say  a  word.  Next, 
Stewart  knew  everything,  and  could  tell  Her  Maj- 
esty's Government   the   pros   and  cons,  from  their 

8  Egypt,  '84,  No.  22. 


266  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

point  of  view,  and  with  feelings  akin  to  theirs,  which 
they  would  accept  from  Stewart,  and  never  without 
suspicion  from  me  (in  which  they  are  justified,  for  I 
do  not  look  on  things  from  their  point  of  view).  I 
told  Stewart  also,  "  I  know  you  will  act  conscien- 
tiously and  honourably ;  but  I  know  your  opinions, 
and,  therefore,  as  you  have  all  my  views  on  the  Sou- 
dan in  your  Journal,  I  beg  you  will,  in  answering 
queries  of  Her  Majesty's  Government,  make  extracts 
from  the  Journal,  and  state,  '  General  G.  says  this, 
or  that,'  while  you  are  at  full  liberty  to  give  your 
opinion,  even  if  it  differs  from  mine,  but  let  Her 
Majesty's  Government  know  wheji  I  answer  and 
luhen  you  answer."  Stewart,  the  night  he  left, 
wrote  at  my  dictation  a  series  of  questions,  which  I 
answered  on  half-margin  of  the  same  paper,  and  in 
which  I  said,  "  If  Her  Majesty's  Government  have 
not  acted  up  to  time  when  you  get  down,  then  it  is 
too  late,  and  it  is  no  use  doing  anything." 

A  curious  thing  has  happened  ;  my  friend  Kitch- 
ener sent  up  the  post ;  he  wrapped  the  letters  in 
some  old  newspapers  (he  gave  me  no  news  in  his 
letter),  the  old  newspapers  were  thrown  out  in  the 
garden  :  there  a  clerk  who  knew  some  English  found 
them  blowing  about,  and  gave  them  to  the  apothe- 
cary of  the  hospital,  who  knows  English.  The  Doc- 
tor found  him  reading  them,  saw  date  15th  /Septem- 
ber, and  secured  them  for  me  ;  they  are  like  gold,  as 
you  may  imagine,  s'nce  we  have  had  no  news  since 
^'4th  February,  1884 . 

These  papers  gave  us  far  more  information  than 
any  of  your  letters.     Did  K.  send  them  by  accident 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  267 

or  on  purpose  ?  Abyssinian  ambassadors  in  London, 
Walmer  Castle,  &c. ;  my  black  troops  beating  back 
Ras  Aloula  at  Keren,  not  recognizing  the  Hewitt 
Treaty,  and  killing  194  of  the  Abyssinians,  at  Keren, 
vide  Standard,  1  and  15  September.  Lord  Wolse- 
ley  seen  off  at  Victoria  Station,  for  the  Gordon  re- 
lief expedition  !  I  JSfO  !  for  the  relief  of  Soudan 
garrisons.  Khedive  expressing  delight  at  seeing 
Lord  N.,  while  during  the  audience  the  Khedive  dis- 
played great  cordiality  towards  Lord  N.  Abdel  Ka- 
der  saying  you  would  have  four  hard  fights.  I  do 
not  believe  it.  ^ 

It  apj)ears  that  these  newspapers  were  chucked 
out  of  the  Palace ;  but  that  a  man  saw  the  papers 
were  thrown  out,  and  said  to  the  cavass,  "  Give  me 
those  papers  to  wrap  up  tobacco."  The  cavass 
gave  them,  and  the  Doctor's  assistant  going  to  the 
shop  saw  them,  and  seeing  the  date,  took  them,  and 
then  the  Doctor  got  them. 

I  think  that  the  defeat  of  Ras  Aloula,  at  Keren, 
if  true,  is  splendid ;  when  the  Abyssinian  Ambassa- 
dors were  being  entertained  at  Walmer  Castle. 
The  Hewitt  Treaty,  instead  of  aiding  us,  aj)pears 
only  to  have  added  to  our  enemies. 

It  does  seem  wonderful  if  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment have  made  a  treaty  with  King  John  to  give 

8  On  the  page  opposite  the  one  which  contains  this  paragraph  General 
Gordon  has  pasted  cuttings  from  the  paper  to  which  he  alludes.  One 
of  these  cuttings  says,  "  An  official  telegram  received  here  from  Wady 
Haifa  states  that,  owing  to  the  unprecedented  lowness  of  the  Nile,  no 
confidence  is  felt  in  the  practicability  of  hauling  boats  over  the  Cataracts 
till  the  end  of  September."  General  Gordon's  comment  written  against 
this  is,  "It  was  not  a  low  Nile  —  it  was  an  average  Nile,  only  you  were 
too  laie.^'      Ed. 


268  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

over  Bogos,  i.  e.  Keren,  i.  e.  Senheit,  to  him  (with 
other  places),  that  orders  were  not  sent  to  the  for- 
tress to  evacuate  ;  but  if  the  papers  we  secured  are 
true,  that  Ras  Aloula  was  beaten  back,  it  is  evident 
no  such  orders  were  given.  What  an  extraordinary 
state  of  affairs !  Mitzakis,  in  his  letter  to  Greek 
Consul  here  of  date  25th  of  August,  says,  that  2^os- 
session  will  he  taken  of  Keren  (i.  e.  Senheit,  i.  e. 
Bogos)  at  once ;  and  then  we  have  the  telegram  from 
Massowah  that  Ras  Aloula  has  attacked  Keren,  and 
lost  heavily  (^vide  the  Standard  of  1st  September). 
By  these  papers,  miraculously  secured,  I  see  we  have 
made  Minister  of  Interior  Abdel  Kader  Pasha ;  ac- 
cording to  all  accounts  up  here,  he  is  "  Abdel  Kader 
and  the  forty  thieves  in  one.  "  ^^ 

November  6.  —  Three  horsemen  and  four  footmen 
(Arabs)  came  opposite  Bourr^  to-day  on  right  bank 
of  the  Nile,  and  fired  a  few  shots,  and  went  off  on 
our  firing  two  shots  from  Krupp.  Also,  the  Arabs 
came  down  with  their  guns  to  the  White  Nile  end  of 
lines,  and  fired  on  the  santals.  A  soldier  of  ours 
came  in  from  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  wdth  his  wife  and 
child  ;  he  says  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  died  four  days  ago 
(to  the  great  relief  of  Sanderson)  ;  now  we  have  only 
the  city  to  deal  with.  Two  more  soldiers  came  in 
from  Arabs  at  Omdurman.  The  Arabs  fired  seven 
rounds  from  their  guns  on  the  lines  near  the  White 
Nile.  A  post  was  captured  by  Sheikh  el  Obeyed 
(with  European  letters,  coming  from  Kassala)  just 
before  his  death ;  the  porter  of  these  letters  was 
kiUed. 

1"  See  Ismailia,  vol.  i.,  p.  31.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  269 

I  expect  that  the  naming  of  the  expedition  the 
Gordon  Relief  Expedition  is  because  the  fiction 
"  that  Her  Majesty's  Government  has  no  responsi- 
hility  toioards  the  Soudan  cmd  its  garrisons''^  is 
going  to  be  held  to,  and  that  the  object  of  the  ex- 
pedition thus  named  will  be  considered  as  accom- 
plished, if  Kartoum  is  reached;  but  in  that  case, 
how  can  the  sending  up  Stewart  and  me  be  ex- 
plained? It  was  certainly  because  our  Government 
thought  they  were  responsible  that  we  were  sent ; 
also  if  Her  Majesty's  Government  has  no  responsi- 
bility, why  did  the  troops  attack  Osman  Digna,  and 
relieve  Tokar  ?  ^^ 

The  Sheikh  el  Obeyed' s  death  will  be  a  heavy  blow 
to  the  Arabs,  for  his  following  will  no  longer  hold 
together. 

Another  soldier,  with  his  wife,  has  come  in  at 
Omdurman. 

These  men  report  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  dead,  and  that 
he  is  succeeded  by  his  son  Achmet,  and  that  not 
more  than  1000  or  1500  are  with  him  ;  the  Mahdi 
and  the  Arabs  are  against  any  attack  on  the  Kar- 
toum lines.  A  good  many  Baggara  are  still  with 
Mahdi,  who  is  daily  losing  followers. 

A  soldier  was  severely  wounded  this  morning  at 
Bourre. 

They  say  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  died  of  chagrin.  He 
would  not  go  and  see  the  Mahdi,  who  sent  him  word 
to  give  up  all  his  property. 

What  a  fury  King  John  will  be  in,  if  it  is  true 

11  General  Gordon  has  already  fully  explained  wherein  the  responsi- 
bility of  Her  Majesty's  Government  towards  the  Soudan  lies.  —  Ed. 


270  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Keren  has  fired  ou  and  killed  his  men  ;  he  will 
swear  it  is  Towfik's  treachery.  I  wonder  who  are 
the  Treaty  Powers  —  Towfik  and  King  John,  or  our 
Government  and  King  John  ?  Keren  is  only  three 
days  from  Massowah,  and  it  is  not  likely  they  would 
invent  this  telegram.  It  makes  one  laugh,  to  think 
of  this  addition  to  our  enemies  kindly  given  us. 

The  soldier  (who  came  in  with  his  wife  and  two 
childi'en)  says  that  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  captured  a 
post  with  the  Arab  and  European  letters ;  that  he 
sat  for  some  time  in  a  comatose  state,  and  then  died ; 
that  his  people  are  all  dispersing.  This  is  a  great 
comfort,  for  we  will  have  (Z).  V.)  no  fighting  there. 
A  soldier  and  his  mother  have  come  in.  They  say 
the  Mahdi  moved  his  camp  to-day  four  hours  f ui'ther 
off.  This  evening  the  Arabs  fired  six  times,  with 
theii'  guns,  on  the  lines  near  the  White  Nile. 

I  knew  Harrison  ^^  would  come.     Extract  A  ^^  on 

12  Colonel  Harrison,  C.  B.,  C.  M.  G.,  R.  E.  —Ed. 

13  At  this  point  General  Gordon  refers  to  the  newspaper  cuttings  he 
has  made  and  pasted  in  on  the  opposite  page.  The  first  reference  is 
a  comment  on  a  telegram  in  the  Standard,  dated  Suakin,  August  30th, 
which  runs  as  follows :  *'  The  Jaffariyeh  overtook  not  far  to  the  south 
of  Suakin  the  three  dhows  recently  captured  by  the  rebels.  The  latter 
on  being  overtaken  ran  the  boats  aground,  and  escaped  inland.  The 
crew  of  the  Jaffariyeh  subsequently  burned  the  dhows."  The  italics  are 
General  Gordon's.  (B)  refers  to  a  further  telegram  headed  "  Rebellion  in 
Arabia,"  and  dated  Constantinople,  Sunday  night:  "Fighting  still  go- 
ing on  in  the  Hedjaz  between  the  Ottoman  troops  and  the  Arab  tribes 
which  have  revolted  against  the  authority  of  the  Sultan's  Government. 
Matters  must  be  considered  somewhat  serious  by  the  Porte,  for  the  Gov- 
ernment have  decided  to  dispatch  to  the  seat  of  disturbance  further  rein- 
forcements of  Imperial  troops  to  the  extent  of  some  two  thousand,"  &c. 
In  an  account  in  a  London  paper  of  the  departure  of  Lords  Northbrook  and 
"Wolseley,  General  Gordon  has  marked  certain  penny-a-line  passages, 
and  in  all  cases  where  "  Gordon  Relief  Expedition  "  occurs,  he  has 
drawn  his  pen  through  this  and  all  expressions  indicating  that  the  Ex- 
peditionary Force  comes  to  his  relief.  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  271 

the  other  side  shows  you,  A.  if  you  cannot  protect 
dhows  nov:.  how  will  you  do  so  if  all  the  Soudan 
falls  into  hands  of  the  ^lahdi  ?  Also  extract  B  re- 
specting rebellion  in  Hedjaz,  will  show  all  theix  lands 
are  in  a  fermenting  state,  and  will  be  well  worked 
up  by  the  ^lahdi  if  he  erer  gets  to  Kartoum-  An- 
other man  who  came  in  says  the  ^lahdi  has  drawn 
closer  to  Omdumian-  and  has  not  gone  further  of. 
I  haye  an  idea  the  Arabs  will  make  a  try  to  take 
the  place.  A  soldier  was  wounded  on  the  lines 
near  the  White  Xile  this  evening :  he  was  fishing. 
and  got  hit.  It  certainly  does  seem  most  miraculous 
that  Suakin  should  be  besieged—  and  dhows  c-ap- 
tured  close  to  it :  no  lesson  has  yet  been  taught  these 
Arabs. 

y^oremher  7.  —  We  captured  two  cows  to-day  at 
Bourre.  Mahdi's  camp  is  now  alongside  of  Faki 
Mustapha's,  which  is  one  hour  and  a  half  from  the 
fort  Omdurman. 

A  large  body  of  Arabs  left,  with  carayan.  the 
Dem  of  Faki  Mustapha.  in  a  north-west  direction. 
towards  the  Gabra  Wells,  the  Kababish  head-quar- 
ters. The  Dem  of  the  31ahdi  is  not  fer  from  the 
river,  by  which  I  conjecture  he  has  his  Krupps 
in  position  near  there.  Church  parade  going  on- 
average  size.  I  am  anxious  for  the  flaTik  of  the 
lines  ending  on  the  White  Xile,-^  and  have  sent  up  a 
steamer  to  stay  there.  Four  soldiers,  one  slave,  and 
two  women  came  from   the  Arabs  to  Omdurman- 

2=5  ^-^V-  -was  ix  thy  tinie  bssisged  ms  ibe  3*Ed  soiie.  —  Er. 
Boarre  to  ibe  MctiriBa  Fort-  —  Ed. 


272  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

The  Mahdi  means  to  attack  Omdurman ;  he  has 
received  120  camels  of  ammunition;  Slatin  is  in 
chains.  These  men  say  the  Mahdi  and  the  Arabs 
have  not  the  least  intention  of  risking  their  skins 
against  the  fort,  but  will  shove  on  the  Black  Regu- 
lars they  have  captured.  It  is  like  fighting  one's 
OAvn  flesh  and  blood ;  it  is  not  fair  warfare.  ^^ 

If  I  am  inclined  to  be  vicious  I  have  some  little 
excuse,  with  woinen  yelling  for  dhoora,  under  the 
Palace  windows !  Church  parade  to-day,  and  the 
approach  nearer  to  us  of  the  Mahdi' s  camp,  and  his 
sending  for  and  getting  120  camel  loads  of  ammuni- 
tion, does  not  show  he  is  wanting  in  confidence,  for 
if  he  did  fear,  he  would  never  have  sent  for  500,000 
rounds  of  ammunition ;  or  if  he  had  sent  for  it,  he 
would  have  stopped  its  coming,  had  he  feared  the 
advance.  The  fact  is  that  the  Tokar  affair,  with 
the  non-following  up  of  the  victory, i"  has  given  him 
great  confidence,  which  is  strengthened  by  his  Arabs 
capturing  dhows  and  firing  on  the  lines  of  Suakin 
with  impunity.  Perhaps  the  non-firing  on  Suakin 
for  three  days  (August)  30  means  that  the  Haden- 
dowa  Arabs  have  gone  to  assist  Berber !  I  wonder 
whether  it  has  not  been  observed,  that  Suakin  is 
perfectly  useless  if  the  Soudan  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  Mahdi.     I  declare  I  think  he  (the  Mahdi)  has  a 

18  General  Gordon  had  great  admiration  and  affection  for  the  Black 
Regulars.  — Ed. 

1'^  Baring  to  Lord  Granville,  March  Qth,  1884. 

"  With  reference  to  General  Graham's  message  communicated  to  Her 
Majesty's  Secretary  of  State  for  War  relative  to  the  opening  out  of  the 
Berber-Suakin  route,  I  wish  to  say  that  I  do  not  recommend  any  Eng- 
lish troops  being  sent  to  Berber."  —  Egypt,  No.  12,  1884,  No.  214. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  273 

fair  chance  of  getting  to  Mecca,  if  the  rebellion  in 
the  Hedjaz  goes  on,  and  he  gets  Kartoum. 

The  Mahdi  may,  and  I  daresay  has  good  iniorma- 
tion  from  Cairo,  as  to  the  intention  of  the  expedition, 
or  he  may  reason,  "  They  will  relieve  Kartoum,  leave 
me  alone  in  my  camp,  and  go  back."  If  the  Govern- 
ment instructions  are  definite,  and  going  to  be  car- 
ried out  at  any  cost,  and  if  they  are  to  the  effect 
that  a  Rapid  Retreat  is  to  take  place,  then  nothing 
more  is  to  be  said.  All  I  ask  for  then,  is  to  be  put 
out  of  my  place  here,^^  to  go  on  my  way,  and  be 
no  more  employed.  That  is  not  an  unreasonable 
demand,  for  my  mission  here  was  a  special  one, 
and  not  obligatory,  like  a  military  duty ;  and  in  my 
position  of  Governor  -  General  I  am  quite  justified 
in  having  said  and  done  everything  for  the  people 
over  whom  I  was  placed  by  Towfik  (following  the 
'"'■  fiction  "  that  he  was  independent)  that  I  thought 
would  secure  them  safety.  If  it  is  determined  to 
abandon  Sennaar  and  Kassala  (following  t\\Q  fiction 
that  the  King  of  Abyssinia  will  look  after  them), 
also  the  Equator,  to  their  fate,  after  their  gallant 
defence,  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  said,  and  the 
sooner  this  action  is  performed  the  better,  if  it  is  to 
be  performed  at  all.  To  execute  the  operation,  if  it 
is  confined  to  the  evacuation  of  Kartoum,  I  can  be  of 
no  possible  use,  and  I  do  not  care  to  wait  and  see  the 
Mahdi  walk  in  on  your  heels  into  Kartoum,  which 
we  have  held  against  him  for  so  many  months ; 
neither  do  I  wish  to  see  Her  Majesty's  forces  dogged 
by  these  Arabs  all  the  way  to  Wady  Haifa,  or  to 

18  1.6,  to  be  removed  from  my  position  as  Governor-General.  —  Ed. 
18 


274  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

receive  the  remonstrances  of  those  who  have  stuck 
to  me.  I  am  sure  I  have  now  written  so  fully  on 
all  these  subjects  that  there  can  be  little  room  for 
further  discussion  :  you  have  to  make  up  your  mind 
and  act.  I  have  f uUy  expressed  my  views  and  de- 
sires, and  shall  take^  or  try  to  take,  very  philosoph- 
ically your  decision ;  though  I  do  most  emphatically 
protest  against  this  abandonment,  which  will  lead  to 
greater  disasters,  and  is  unworthy  of  our  country. 

The  men  who  came  in  to-day  say  the  Mahdi  will 
attack  Omdiirman  to-morrow.  The  following  deci- 
sions have  to  be  taken  if  the  rapid  retreat  is  carried 
out :  — 

1.  Are  the  Government  stores  to  be  destroyed  ? 

2.  Are  you  prepared  to  supply  transport  for  all 
who  wish  to  go  down? 

3.  Will  you  disarm  the  Shaggyeh  ere  you  leave  ? 

4.  What  will  you  do  with  the  steamers  ? 

I  declare  I  should  tremble  to  give  these  orders. 
As  Governor-General  /  never  loould  do  it. 

5.  Will  you  write  to  Sennaar  and  Kassala,  and 
inform  them  of  what  you  mean  to  do,  and  exonerate 
me? 

(A  slave  came  in  from  the  Arabs.  He  says  the 
Arabs  will  not  attack  the  lines ;  that  the  regulars 
are  all  over  with  the  Mahdi  on  the  left  bank.) 

6.  Will  you  negotiate  with  the  Mahdi  (no  use,  I 
expect)  in  re  the  deliverance  of  the  prisoners  (Euro- 
pean) he  has  with  him  ? 

7.  Would  you  object  to  aiding  the  black  troops 
to  go  to  Sennaar  and  to  fight  out  the  question,  with 
the  view  of  saving  Sennaar  and  Kassala  garrisons  ? 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  275 

Two  soldiers  and  one  slave  came  in  from  Arabs 
at  Oradurman ;  they  say  the  Mahdi  will  not  attack 
directly,  that  Slatin  is  in  chains  for  writing  to  Kar- 
toum ;  also  Saleh  Pasha.  The  Arabs  fired  two 
rounds  from  their  guns  towards  the  lines  near  the 
White  Nile  this  evening.     They  fell  short. 

Supposing  Kartoum  evacuated,  then  Sennaar  and 
Kassala  fall.  The  Arabs  now  fire  on  the  lines  at 
Suakin,  and  capture  dhows  in  the  Red  Sea,  and 
there  is  a  revolt  in  the  Hedjaz.  What  is  to  prevent 
the  Mahdi's  adherents  gaining  Mecca,  where  there 
are  not  2000  men?  Once  at  Mecca,  we  may  look 
out  for  squalls  in  Turkey,  &c. 

If  decision  is  taken  on  the  Rapid  Retreat  proceed- 
ing, the  Consuls  should  be  warned  on  your  arrival. 
•  If  the  British  Government  had  only  given  us 
Zubair  Pasha  in  March,  when  I  asked  for  him,  we 
would  not  have  lost  Berber,  and  would  never  have 
wanted  an  expedition.  We  would  have  beaten  the 
Mahdi  without  any  exterior  help ;  it  is  sad,  when 
the  Mahdi  is  moribund,  that  we  should,  by  evacua- 
tion of  Kartoum,  raise  him  again.  The  defect  I 
labored  under  has  been  that  I  presented  no  rallying 
point  to  the  people,  not  being  of  their  nation  or 
creed.  ^^ 

The  Arabs  began  musketry  fire  on  Bourre  at  1 
p.  M.,  and  before,  this  morning.  It  was  quite  like 
old  times,  when  it  used  to  go  on  for  months.     I 

19  "  In  fact,  things  are  not  serious,  although  they  may  become  so  if 
delay  occurs  in  sending  Zebehr  (Zubair).  My  weakness  is  that  of  being 
foreign  and  Christian  and  peaceful ;  and  it  is  only  by  sending  Zebehr 
that  prejudice  can  be  removed." — General  Gordon  to  Sir  E.  Baring, 
Kartoum,  March  ith,  188i.    Egypt,  No.  12.    Enclosure  5,  in  No.  202. 


276  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

never  got  accustomed  to  it,  for  I  knew  what  troops 
we  had,  and  it  always  murdered  sleep. 

Novemher  8.  —  It  must  be  obvious  that  if  Zubair 
was  with  you,  and  installed  as  Governor-General, 
with  a  semi-independent  position  and  a  subsidy,  in 
the  present  decaying  position  of  the  Mahdi,  and 
your  temporary  presence,  he  would  rally  around  him 
a  huge  following,  who  are  now  disgusted  with  the 
Mahdi  and  his  Dervishes,  but  who  will  be  obliged  to 
hold  to  him,  because  you  evacuate ;  even  those  peo- 
ple with  us,  we  per  force  oblige  to  join  the  Mahdi. 
Zubair' s  installation  would  save  you  all  the  bother 
of  the  Sennaar  evacuation.  You  would  have  only 
to  stay  up  here  a  couple  of  months,  and  perhaps 
have  to  keep  a  detachment  at  Berber  and  Dongolat 
(in  order  that  Zubair  might  get  up  more  munitions) 
for  a  time.  You  have  now  boats  fitted  for  the  com- 
munication by  the  Nile,  vid  Abou  Hamed,  and  Zubair 
could  soon  put  them  along  the  Nile  in  a  chain.  As 
for  the  slave-trade,^*^  the  Mahdi  will  be  ten  times 
worse  than  Zubair,  and  you  could  make  the  payment 
of  the  subsidy  (to  Zubair)  contingent  on  his  not 
doing  it  on  any  vast  scale.  The  Zubair  solution  is 
the  sort  of  half-way  house  between  rapid  retreat  and 
continued  occupation,  either  by  Turks  or  yourself. 

The  Mahdi  coidd  never  get  the  people  to  rise 
against  Zubair ;  it  will  be  only  because  they  are 
presented  with  no  rallying  point,  and  per  force  they 
will  join  him  if  you  leave.  They  never  would  have 
joined  the  Mahdi  if  Zubair  had  come  up.  It  is  only 
because  Zubair  was  not  here  that  Berber  fell. 

20  See  accounts  of  slave-hunting  in  the  Bahr  Gazelle,  App.  U,  b. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


277 


6.30  A.  M.  —  Arabs  streaming  across  from  the 
White  Nile  to  Bourre.  Some  Arabs  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Bhie  Nile  look  as  if  they  are  coming 
down  that  bank  to  the  North  Fort.  I  have  ordered 
up  the  steamers  Ismailia  and  Husseinyeh.  The 
Arabs  have  found  our  weak  point,  i.  e.  prolongation 
of  our  lines  at  Bourre,  but  the  steamers  will  drive 
them  out. 


Arabs 


7.30  A.  M.  —  Fight  still  going  on,  steamer  coming 
up  the  river.  8.30  a.  m.  —  Steamers  went  up  and 
drove  the  Arabs  off  the  right  bank  of  the  Blue  Nile, 
who  were  enfilading  our  lines.  The  firing,  which 
has  been  continuous  for  four  hours,  has  pretty  well 
ceased.  Up  to  this  we  have  had  no  killed  or 
wounded,  I  am  glad  to  say.  During  the  night  the 
Arabs  on  the  left  bank  of  the  White  Nile  (Mahdi's 
camp)  fired  three  shells  against  the  lines  ending  on 
right  bank  of  the  White  Nile.  A  soldier  fellciheen 
is  thought  to  have  deserted  to  the  Arabs  last  night. 
9  A.  M.  —  The  Arabs  have  collected  in  the  vicinity  of 
Omdurman  Fort  a  heap  of  cows,  who  seem  drawing- 
down  towards  the  fort.  I  have  ordered  the  Ismailia 
to  go  down.  I  expect  they  will  drive  the  cows  on  to 
the  fort,  and  try  and  explode  the  mines.  The  Arabs 
on  the  White  Nile  are  firing  on  the  lines  with  their 
Krupp.  10  a.  M.  —  Arabs  are  leaving  the  vicinity 
of  Bourr^,  and  going  back  to  their  Dem  near  the 


278  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

White  Nile.  The  Arabs  near  Omdurman  village  are 
firing  across  the  river  towards  Megrim. 

The  Austrian  Consul,  when  taking  his  morning 
ride,  was  surprised  at  seeing  two  balls  strike  the 
water  near,  and  so  he  returned.  10.45  A.  m.  —  The 
battles  are  over,  and  all  is  quiet.  What  a  worry  all 
this  is!  The  rockets  from  Omdurman  drove  back 
the  advance  of  the  cows ;  it  was  an  ingenious  at- 
tempt, if  meant.^^ 

I  expect  the  Arabs  fired  away  30,000  rounds  to- 
day. We  had  one  man  killed  in  small  steamer,  and 
owe  wounded  ;  in  the  fort  we  had  two  wounded,  and 
one  man  was  wounded  by  bursting  of  rocket  tube 
at  Omdurman.  I  hate  these  rockets  with  sticks. 
Hale's  are  the  only  decent  ones ;  not  that  the  sticks 
have  anything  to  do  with  their  bursting.  The  com- 
position in  these  climates  shrinks  away  from  the 
case,  and  the  fire  flares  up  the  whole  of -the  exterior 
and  interior  of  the  rocket.  I  expect  we  are  going 
to  have  a  series  of  these  festivities,  which  are  so 
wearisome.  In  the  Ahhas  there  was  a  heap  of 
money  orders,  &c.,  connected  with  the  merchants 
here,  so  sure  did  they  think  she  would  get  down. 
Six  soldiers  came  in  from  the  Arabs,  also  foiu' 
slaves,  who  report  the  Arabs  are  thinking  of  putting 
a  post  at  Half ey eh.  (I  hope  they  wiU  not.)  The 
Mahdi  has  about  8000  men  of  all  sorts  with  him. 
Slatin  is  in  chains,  also  Saleh  Pasha.  Hussein  Pasha 
Khalifa  is  great  friends  with  the  Mahdi.  Omdur- 
man captured  sixteen  cows  when  they  came  near  the 

21  /.  e.  driving  the  cows  down  with  the  view  to  their  exploding  the 
mines.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  279 

fort,  also  one  slave.     They  killed  one  Arab.     The 
men  who  came  in  say  the  Arabs  mean  to  continue 
this  day's  festivities  every  day.     They  do  not  seem 
to  care  much  about  the  advance  of  the  expedition, 
or  are  uncommonly  confident  or  ignorant.     I  do  not 
at  aU  enjoy  the  thought  of  these  daily  festivities ; 
they  are  "  abrutissant,"  as  the  Austrian  Consul  says. 
It  is  very  curious  what  very  little  effect  all  our 
immense  preparations  at  Dongola,  &c.,  has  had  on 
the  course  of  events  ;  one  may  say  they  have  not 
had  up  to  the  present  the  least,  while  I  have  weak- 
ened myself  by  sending  down  my  steamers  ^^  and 
four  hundred  men  (not,  however,  of  the  best  qual- 
ity).    I  expect  we  will  have  the  festivity  to-morrow 
on  the  White  Nile  end  of  the  lines,  which  is  our 
weakest  part.     I  must  not  be  blamed  at  looking  for- 
ward to  a  repetition  of  the  past  miseries ;  we  truly 
have  had  a  wearisome  time  for  241  days !     Another 
soldier  has  come  in;    he  says  the  Mahdi  thought 
Kartoum  could  be  bombarded  from  his  new  camp, 
but  finds  it  cannot  be  done.     If  Lord  Wolseley  did 
say  he  hoped  to   relieve   Kartoum   before    "  many 
months,^''  he  must  have  a  wonderful  confidence  in 
our  powers  of  endurance,  considering  that  when  he  is 
said  to  have  made  this  utterance,  we  had  been  block- 
aded six  and  a  half  months,  and  are  now  in  our  ninth 
month.     I  am  quite  sure  of  one  thing,  that  the  pol- 
icy followed   up   till  lately  (and  the  policy  which 
may  be  carried  out,  of  abandoning  Sennaar,  &c.)  is 
one  which  will  act  detrimentally  on  our  army ;  for 

22  The  steamers  General  Gordon  sent  to  Metemma  to  assist  the  reliev- 
ing force.  —  Ed. 


280  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

what  officer,  if  he  was  in  a  fortress,  could  have  any 
confidence  that  it  might  not  be  thought  advisable  to 
abandon  him.  Her  Majesty's  Government  told  me, 
or  rather  my  friend  Baring  told  me,^^  I  was  not  to 
leave  Kartoum  for  the  Equator  until  I  had  per- 
mission. I  have  his  telegram  (so  that  if  it  was  pos- 
sible, or  if  I  could  do  it)  if  I  did  leave  Kartoum,  I 
should  be  acting  against  orders.  This  Soudan  busi- 
ness will  cost  me  .£3000  ^  beyond  my  pay,  at  least, 
which  I  will  not  ask  them  or  allow  them  to  pay.  I 
shall  get  it  from  others,  and  I  shall  get  another 
XIOOO  to  buy  Stewart's  Journal,  if  he  has  been 
killed  or  captured. 

Another  soldier  is  in  from  the  Arabs  at  Omdur- 
man,  which  fort  has  captured  four  more  cows,  that  is 
twenty  to-day  (a  cow  is  worth  £20  in  town !)  £400 ! 
There  is  one  thing  which  is  quite  incomprehensible. 
If  it  is  right  to  send  up  an  exjjedition  now,  why  was 
it  not  right  to  send  it  up  before  ?  It  is  all  very  well 
to  say  one  ought  to  consider  the  difficulties  of  the 
Government,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  get  over  a  feeling, 
,  that  "  a  hope  existed  of  no  expedition  being  neces- 
sary, owing  to  our  having  fallen."     As  for  myself, 

28  Sir  E,  Baring  to  Lord  Granville. 

"  Cairo,  March  13th,  1884. 

"I  have  instructed  him  (General  Gordon)  to  hold  on  at  Kartoum,  un- 
til I  can  communicate  further  with  Her  Majesty's  Government,  and 
have  told  him  that  he  should  on  no  account  proceed  to  the  Bahr  Gazelle 
and  Equatorial  provinces."  — Egypt,  1884,  Nos.  12-242.  —  Ed. 

24  The  English  Government  has,  in  the  most  liberal  manner,  stated  it 
will  meet  anj'  bills  that  General  Gordon  may  have  drawn  upon  it  on  his 
private  account,  and  of  which  General  Gordon  has  given  a  list.  The 
Egyptian  Government  has  acted  in  a  similar  manner  with  regard  to 
moneys  spent  by  General  Gordon  at  Kartoum.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  281 

personally,  I  feel  no  particular  rancour  on  the  sub- 
ject ;  but  I  own  I  do  not  care  to  show  I  like  men, 
whoever  they  may  be,  who  act  in  such  a  calculating 
way,  and  I  do  not  think  one  is  bound  to  act  the 
hypocrite's  part,  and  pretend  to  be  friendly  towards 
them.  If  a  boy  at  Eton  or  Harrow  acted  towards 
his  fellow  in  a  similar  way,  /  think  he  would  be 
kicked,  and  /  am  sure  he  would  deserve  it.  I  know 
of  no  sort  of  parallel  to  all  this  in  history,  except  it 
be  David  with  Uriah  the  Hittite,  and  then  there  was 
an  Eve  in  the  case,  who,  I  am  not  aware  of,  exists 
in  this  case.  Remember,  also,  that  I  do  not  judge 
the  question  of  abandoning  the  garrisons  or  not: 
what  I  judge  is  the  indecision  of  Government. 
They  did  not  dare  say  "abandon  the  garrison;"  so 
they  prevented  me  leaving  for  the  Equator,  with 
the  determination  not  to  relieve  me,  and  the  hope 
(well !  I  will  not  say  what  their  hope  was)  ("  March, 
April  .  .  .  August,  why !  he  ought  to  have  surren- 
dered ;  he  said,  six  months  ")  —  there  is  my  point  of 
complaint.  The  second  is  the  FICTION  that  it  is 
the  Egyptian  Government  which  governs  Egypt ;  it 
is  a  silly  story,  for  every  one  sees  through  it.  Can 
one  imagine  a  greater  farce  than  Lord  Northbrook 
asking  Towfik  for  the  "  assistance  of  Egyptian  Gov- 
ernment to  carry  out  this,  or  that."  I  expect  the 
two  roared  with  laughter  over  it  (sorry  I  cannot 
manage  a  sketch  of  the  scene).  (Baring  would 
never  laugh;  it  is  too  serious,  like  jesting  in  church.) 
The  third  grievance  is  that  Treaty  with  Abyssinia, 
under  the  screen  of  the  "  FICTION,"  (if  it  is  true 
it  has  been  made)  ;  however  it  is  a  dead  letter,  I  am 
glad  to  say. 


282  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

November  9th.  —  Four  soldiers,  five  slaves,  of 
whom  two  are  women,  came  in  from  the  Arabs  to- 
day. Desultory  firing  o?i  and  from  the  Arabs  at 
Omdurman,  and  the  White  Nile  lines. 

Of  the  men  who  came  in,  one  is  a  slave  of  Slatin 
Bey.  The  Mahdi  does  not  mean  to  fight  direct; 
the  Khalifas  ^^  and  the  Arabs  want  to  fight  direct. 
Omdurman  killed  some  of  their  men ;  the  Arabs 
have  munitions ;  Slatin  is  in  chains.  These  men 
brought  in  their  rifles.  The  Arabs  lost  at  Bourre 
heavily ;  some  bodies  came  floating  down  the  river 
to-day.  A  soldier»'came  in  from  the  Arabs.  A  few 
Arabs  came  and  fired  on  the  fort  at  Omdurman,  and 
wounded  a  slave  in  it. 

The  people  up  here  would  reason  thus,  if  I  at- 
tempted to  leave  :  "  You  came  up  here,  and  had  you 
not  come,  we  should  have  some  of  us  got  away  to 
Cairo,  but  we  trusted  in  you  to  extricate  us  ;  we 
suffered  and  are  suffering  great  privations,  in  order 
to  hold  the  town.  Had  you  not  come  we  should  have 
given  in  at  once  and  obtained  pardon ;  now  we  can, 
after  our  obstinate  defence,  expect  no  mercy  from 
the  Mahdi,  who  wiU  avenge  on  us  all  the  blood 
which  has  been  spilt  around  Kartoum.  You  have 
taken  our  money  and  promised  to  repay  us  ;  all  this 
goes  for  nought  if  you  quit  us ;  it  is  your  bounden 
duty  to  stay  by  us,  and  to  share  our  fate  ;  if  the 
British  Government  deserts  us  that  is  no  reason  for 
you  to  do  so,  after  our  having  stood  by  you."  ^^     I 

25  /.  e.  the  Viziers.  —  Ed. 

26  Whenever  General  Gordon  deals  with  this  subject,  he  shows  how 
thoroughly  angry  he  is,  and  his  anger  increases  as  he  proceeds.  Hence 
the  frequent  reiterations  of  his  resolve  not  to  leave.  — Ed. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  283 

declare  positively^  and  once  for  all,  that  I  will  not 
leave  the  Soudan  until  every  one  who  wants  to  go 
down  is  given  the  chance  to  do  so,  unless  a  govern- 
ment is  established  which  relieves  me  of  the  charge ; 
therefore  if  any  emissary  or  letter  comes  up  here 
ordering  me  to  come  down,  I  will  NOT  OBEY  it, 

BUT  WILL   STAY   HERE,  AND   FALL  WITH  THE    TOWN, 

AND  RUN  ALL  RISKS.  These  remarks  are  produced 
by  the  extraordinary  confidence  of  the  Arabs,  com- 
bined with  the  Abyssinian  Treaty  and  other  signifi- 
cant remarks  in  the  newspaper  Kitchener  sent  me  — 
Gordon  Relief  Expedition  —  who,  I  expect,  knows 
more  than  I  do,  and  that  "  that  more  is  that  the 
JSJxjjedition  has  come  up  for  me  personally.^^  I 
hope,  if  things  do  come  to  the  worst,  and  that  the 
Expedition  goes  back,  my  steamers  (cifter  abstrac- 
tion of  th.Q  fellaheen  troops^  will  be  sent  back  to 
this  place,  with  <£150,000  which  Baring  promised 
me !  (or  as  much  as  I  wanted),  and  as  much  pro- 
visions as  can  be  possibly  spared  ;  also  a  gun  to  re- 
place the  one  lost  (or  said  to  be  lost)  in  the  Abbas 
trying  to  communicate  with  Europe  and  Cairo. 
Unless  Zubair  is  absolutely  required  at  Cairo,  I 
would  also  like  him  to  come  up,  or  (to  save  appear- 
ances) allowed  to  escape.  I  hope  that  Stewart's 
supposed  death,  if  by  treachery,  will  be  avenged  in 
a  signal  way  on  the  way  down.^*^ 

27  Briefly  summarised,  what  General  Gordon  says  is:  "If  the  ex- 
peditionary force  has  come  for  me  alone,  I  will  not  return  with  it :  it 
may  go  back,  while  I  will  remain  here  as  Governor-General,  and  make 
the  best  use  I  can  of  the  war  material  which  belongs  to  me  while  I  hold 
that  position.  If  I  am  removed  from  that  position  by  a  firman  from 
the  Khedive,  I  will  still  remain  here,  in  a  private  capacity,  and  devote 
my  life  and  energy  to  those  people  who  have  devoted  their  lives  to 
me."  —  Ed. 


284  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

A  boy  was  captured,  during  the  cow  business  at 
Omdurman,  but  lie  said  his  father  was  with  the 
Arabs,  so  1  let  him  go  back. 

I  have  now  got  all  the  "telegrams,"  European, 
"  sent  from  "  and  "  received  m  Soudan "  for 
"  1883-84,"  —  splendid  collection,  full  of  interest. 
What  would  the  Standard  give  for  them  ?  How- 
ever, I  think  I  can  afford  to  be  generous,  and  so  I 
shall  send  them  down  with  this  Vol.  VI.^^  . 

The  fort  at  Omdurman  captured  twenty-one  cows 
this  evening;  this  is  splendid  —  forty-one  cows  in 
two  days. 

The  only  original  document  I  kept  here,  and  which 
I  was  as  near  as  possible  giving  to  Stewart,  is  the 
firman  I  have  already  mentioned,  which  I  send  with 
this,^  proclaiming  the  abandonment  of  the  Soudan 
by  Towfik.^*^  If  the  Mahdi  had  got  this  he  would 
have  crowed,  though  he  may  know  of  it,  for  I 
showed  it,  not  knoAving  well  its  contents,  to  Hussein 
Pasha  Khalifa  (vide  Stewart's  Journal,  which  went 
down,  and  in  which  I  criticise  my  ha^^Jlg  done  so). 
I  felt  inclined  to  give  it  to  Stewart,  who,  I  felt  con- 
fident, would  get  down,  because  I  thought  if  found 
with  me  the  Mahdi  might  say,  "  Wh}^,  you  had  the 
order  to  give  up  the  country  from  Towfik,  and  you 
did  not " ;  but,  then,  I  thought  as  I  shall  be  killed 
ere  he  takes  the  town  it  does  not  make  much  differ- 
ence if  here  or  with  Stewart,  so  I  kept  it.  I  call 
attention  to  the  fact  that  every  document  (except 

28  Not  received  from  the  Government. 

29  Appendix  Y. 

3"  The  firman  of  Towfik  respecting  the  troops  withdrawing,  which  Gor- 
don received  24th  January,  1884,  and  which  he  did  not  promulgate. —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  285 

above-mentioned  telegrams,  of  which  Stewart  had 
taken  copies)  went  down  with  him  (Stewart),  and 
that  will  show  how  sure  I  felt  that  he  and  Power 
would  get  down,  for  otherwise,  if  I  had  doubted,  I 
would  never  have  let  my  original  instructions  go ; 
now  I  have  not  a  single  paper.  I  cannot  quote  text- 
ually  :  all  went  with  Stewart ;  but  I  have  my  mem- 
ory, and  I  even  give  you  the  Telegrams.  I  have 
not  written  any  despatch  concerning  Stewart  or 
Power.  I  dare  not,  with  my  views,  say  their  death 
is  an  evil ;  ^^  if  true.  I  am  sorry  for  their  friends 
and  relations.  Stewart  was  a  brave,  just,  upright 
gentleman.  Can  one  say  more  ?  Power  was  a  chiv- 
alrous, brave,  honest  gentleman.  Can  one  say  more  ? 
Herbin,  I  liked  very  much ;  he  was  a  most  agreeable 
and  gentlemanly  Frenchman,  and  very  sharp.  The 
diplomatic  .  .  .  called  him  names  in  a  telegram ; 
but  I  found  him  fairly  just,^^  though  naturally  with 
a  French  bias.  For  my  part  I  cannot  see  what 
harm  the  French  can  do  us  if  they  had  a  voice  in 
Egypt ;  and  I  can  see  much  good  arising  from  it.  I 
declare  if  they  had  had  a  voice  in  Egypt  the  present 
state  of  affairs  would  never  have  existed.  If  you 
can  find  no  chivalry  in  your  own  house,  you  had 
better  borrow  it  from  your  neighbour.     We  fired 

31  It  is  important  there  should  be  no  misconstruction  placed  on  these 
words.  Had  General  Gordon  thought  their  death  would  benefit  the 
Soudan,  he  would  never  have  said  when  he  urged  their  going  down,  "If 
you  go,  you  do  me  a  great  service,  i.  e.  do  the  Soudan  a  great  service." 
When  he  said,  "  I  dare  not,  with  my  views,  say  their  death  is  an  evil," 
he  merely  meant,  "I  dare  not  say  that  two  brave,  just,  upright  men  are 
not  happier  in  the  future  life  than  in  the  present  one."  —  Ed. 

32  General  Gordon  means,  in  my  opinion,  "Fairly  just  in  his  political 
views."     Herbin  was  the  Editor  of  the  Bosphore  Egyptien.  — Ed. 


286  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

yesterday  41,000  rounds  of  Remington  ammunition, 
and  we  fired  less  than  the  Arabs. 

Novemher  10.  — This  morning  forty  Arabs  came 
down  near  Omdurman  Fort,  and  fired  on  it  —  angry 
about  the  capture  of  cows  last  evening. 

One  soldier  and  one  slave  came  in  from  the  Arabs 
at  Omdurman.  Seven  Arabs  on  camels  went  across 
from  the  Blue  Nile  towards  Half eyeh.  I  fear  a  recon- 
noitring party,  previous  to  their  putting  a  post  there. 
To-day  is  the  day  I  expected  we  should  have  had 
some  one  of  the  Expedition  h6re.  Hicks'  defeat 
was  known  at  Cairo  on  the  21st  or  22nd  November, 
since  which  reinforcements  to  extent  of  nine  persons 
reached  this  place  (up  to  date)  from  Cairo  —  "  for 
which  the  Egyptian  Government "  (according  to  the 
fiction)  "  is  solely  and  entirely  to  blame  "!!!!! 

The  man  who  was  wounded  by  the  mine  is  dead. 
If  man  knew  what  the  future  would  bring  forth 
he  would  be  pretty  miserable.  Look  at  the  tele- 
gram on  other  side,  written  in  December,  1883.^ 
I  would  not  read  those  telegrams,  or  Stewart's  Jour- 
nal, for  a  good  deal,  when  I  think  how  we  kept 
feeding  on  delusions  for  so  many  months.  A  soldier 
and  slave  have  come  in  from  the  Arabs  at  Omdur- 
man ;  five  more  soldiers  and  three  slaves  came  in 
later  on  in  the  day  ;  they  say  Slatin  is  released  from 

33  This  refers  to  a  telegram  sent  by  Colonel  Coetlogon  to  Colonel 
Fraser  Floyer,  at  Wady  Haifa,  at  the  above  date,  which  runs  :  "  No 
fresh  news.  Anxiously  awaiting  reinforcements."  Underneath  this 
General  Gordon  has  written  :  "If  Coetlogon  had  only  been  then  in- 
formed that  thei-e  was  no  intention  to  send  reinforcements  (further  than 
nine  persons)  for  (nearly)  a  year!  "  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  287 

his  chains  ;  that  there  is  a  rumour  of  the  advance  of 
the  Expedition  direct  on  Kartoum  from  Debbeh; 
that  Luigi  and  Yusef ,  two  priests,  are  still  in  Obeyed, 
having  refused  to  become  Muslim ;  that  the  Arabs 
lost  heavily  at  Bourre  the  day  before  yesterday. 
Why  Kitchener  2^  did  not  tell  me  the  route  the  Ex- 
pedition would  take  is  inexplicable,  for  it  could  have 
done  no  possible  harm,  seeing  the  Mahdi  has  his 
spies  everywhere,  and  it  was  easy  to  have  couched 
this  information  in  terms  I  could  have  understood, 
and  the  Mahdi  could  not  have  understood.  The 
fellaheen  soldier  did  go  to  the  Mahdi.^^ 

JVovemher  11.  —  This  morning,  6  A.  M.,  200  Arabs 
came  to  north  of  Omdurman  Fort,  and  fired  volleys 
towards  the  village  of  Tuti  and  the  fort;  the  fort 
answered,  and  the  footmen  of  the  Arabs  retreated ; 
then  the  Arab  horsemen  made  the  footmen  go  back 
again,  and  so  on,  four  or  five  times ;  at  last  they  re- 
tired. We  had  three  soldiers  and  one  woman 
wounded ;  only  one  wound  was  at  all  serious.  Arabs 
must  have  fired  five  thousand  rounds ;  evidently  they 
do  not  wish  much  to  fight.  Nineteen  Arabs  came 
along  the  right  bank  of  the  White  Nile  from  Hal- 
f  eyeh  to  Goba,  and  captured  a  donkey ;  this  even  the 
Shaggyeh  could  not  stand,  and  so  I  suppose  one 
hundred  sallied  out  and  some  fifteen  horsemen  ;  then 
came  a  running  fight  across  the  plain,  but  it  was 
evident  the  horsemen  would  not  head  the  Arabs; 
however,  from  the  roof,  it  was  evident  four  or  five 

s*  Major  Kitchener  did  not  know  it  himself. 

35  A  soldier  previously  mentioned,  who  was  thought  to  have  de- 
serted. —  Ed. 


288 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


Arabs  were  killed,  and  the  pui-suit  is  still  going  on. 
You  may  imagine  the  Arabs  have  a  good  deal  of 
confidence,  for  their  nineteen  men  were  distant  at 
least  ten  miles  of  desert  from  their  camp  and  were 


Om 


©Arab 
Camp 


at  a.  They  were  going  along  h  b  when  they  were 
discovered  with  the  captured  donkey.  Five  at  least  of 
these  Arabs  got  away.  The  Arabs  are  sure  to  come 
down  to  avenge  this.  Noon.  —  Arabs  coming  down 
from  their  camp.  The  Ismallia  getting  steam  up. 
North  Fort  reports  (?)  "  Captures,  3  Remingtons  !  3 
spears !  3  swords !  and  the  killing  of  20  ?  5  got 
away  ?  "  The  Arabs  are  halted  on  the  sand  hiUs. 
Five  soldiers  and  one  woman  came  in  from  the 
Arabs  at  Omdurman  ;  report,  "  Arab  rocket-tube 
broken  ;  carriage  of  gun  broken ;  the  Arabs  desert- 
ing ;  rumoured  advance  of  the  Expedition ;  quarrels 
going  on;  Slatin  in  chains^      The  Shaggyeh  say 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  289 

they  killed  twenty  Arabs,  but  tliey  only  say  they 
captured  nine  arms,  so  eleven  must  have  been  un- 
armed !  !  ! 

It  appears  93,000  okes  + 166,000  okes  =  259,000 
okes  of  biscuit  have  been  stolen  in  the  last  year,  only 
found  out  now;  however,  we  have  now  quarter  of  a 
million  okes,  which  will  see  us  only  for  a  month  or 
so.  It  appears  that  more  than  thirty  of  the  princi- 
pal merchants  are  engaged  in  the  above  robbery  of 
biscuit.  The  process  is  not  finished.  One  of  the 
greatest  problems  will  be  what  to  do  with  those 
Shaggy  eh,  those  Cairo  Bashi  Bazouks,  and  fellaheen 
soldiers,  whose  courage  is  about  equal,  —  perhaps 
the  palm  is  due  to  the  Shaggyeh.  The  twenty  cows 
I  mentioned  as  captured  by  the  men  of  Omdurman 
Fort  (making  up  forty-one  captured  cows,  page  284) 
were  driven  in  by  five  soldiers  esccqnng  from  the 
Arabs  and  were  not  captured.  They  do  not  stick 
at  a  lie  (and,  in  this,  resemble  some  people  in  high 
places  I  know).  259,000  okes  of  biscuit  was  a  good 
haul,  nearly  2^  million  pounds :  worth  ,£26,000  now, 
or  £9000  in  ordinary  times.^^ 

November  12.  —  Last  night  three  slaves  came  into 
Omdurman.  At  11  p.  m.  they  reported  Arabs  meant 
to  attack  to-day  at  dawn.  It  was  reported  to  me, 
but  the  telegraph  clerk  did  not  choose  to  tell  me  till 
7  A.  M.  to-day.  We  had  been  called  up  at  5.30  a.  m. 
by  a  violent  fusillade  at  Omdurman.  The  Arabs 
came  out  in  considerable  force,  and,  as  I  had  not 

36  Tliis  recovery  of  biscuit  enabled  General  Gordon  to  hold  Kartoum 
until  the  gates  were  treacherously  opened  to  the  enemy.  —  Ed. 
19 


290  GENERAL   GORDON'S   JOURNAL. 

been  warned,  the  steamers  had  not  steam  up.  From 
5.30  A.  M.  to  8.30  Ai-abs  came  on  and  went  back" 
continually.  All  the  cavalry  were  out ;  the  expendi- 
ture of  ammunition  was  immense.  The  Arabs  had 
a  gun  or  guns  on  the  bank.  Details  further  on,  as 
the  firing  is  still  going  on. 

10.20  A.  M.  —  For  half  an  hour  firing  lulled,  but 
then  recommenced,  and  is  still  going  on.  The  Is- 
mailia  was  struck  with  a  shell,  but  I  hear  is  not 
seriously  damaged.  The  ffiisseinyeh  is  aground  (I 
feel  much  the  want  of  my  other  steamers  at  Metem- 
ma).  11.15  A.  M.  —  Firing  has  lulled  ;  it  was  very 
heavy  for  the  last  three  quarters  of  an  hour  from 
the  Ismailia  and  Arabs  ;  it  is  now  desultorj^  and 
is  dying  away.  Husseinyeh  is  still  aground.  The 
Ismailia  is  at  anchor.  What  a  six  hours  of  anxiety 
for  me,  when  I  saw  the  shells  strike  the  water  near 
the  steamers  from  the  Arabs  ;  imagine  my  feelings ! 
We  have  X831  in  specie  and  .£42,800  in  paper ;  and 
there  is  X14,600  in  ixiper  out  in  the  town !  I  call 
this  state  of  finance  not  bad,  after  more  than  eight 
months'  blockade.  The  troops  are  owed  half  a 
month's  pay,  and  even  that  can  be  scarcely  called 
owed  them,  for  I  have  given  them  stores,  and  beyond 
the  regulations.  Noon.  The  firing  has  ceased,  I 
am  glad  to  say.  I  have  lived  years  in  these  last 
hours  !  Had  I  lost  the  Ismailia^  I  should  have  lost 
the  Husseinyeh  (aground),  and  then  Omdurman, 
and  the  North  Fort !  And  then  the  town  !  1  p.  M. 
—  The  Arabs  are  firing^  on  the  steamers  with  their 
two  guns.  The  Husseinyeh  still  aground  ;  that  is 
the  reason  of  it.     Firing,  1.30  p.  m.,  now  has  ceased. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  291 

The  IsmaUia,  struck  by  three  shells,  had  one  man 
killed,  fifteen  wounded  on  board  of  her ;  she  did 
really  very  well.  I  boxed  the  telegraj)h  clerk's  ears 
for  not  giving  me  the  telegram  last  night  (after  re- 
peated orders  that  no  consideration  was  to  prevent 
his  coming  to  me) ;  and  then,  as  my  conscience 
pricked  me,  I  gave  him  $5.  He  said  he  did  not 
mind  if  I  killed  him  —  I  was  his  father  (a  choco- 
late-coloured youth  of  twenty).  I  know  all  this  is 
brutal  —  abrutissant,  as  Hansall  calls  it  —  but  what 
is  one  to  do  ?  If  you  cut  their  pay,  you  hurt  their 
families.  I  am  an  advocate  for  summary  and  quick 
punishment,  which  hurts  only  the  defaulter.  Had 
this  clerk  warned  me,  of  course,  at  daybreak,  the 
steamers  would  have  had  their  steam  up,  and  been 
ready.  We  have  a  Krupp  at  Mogrim  Fort.  Fer- 
ratch  Pasha  reports  he  has  dismounted  one  of  the 
Arab  guns.  The  Arabs  had  a  show  of  four  hun- 
dred horsemen,  who  kept  far  off.  Telegraph  was, 
and  is,  interrupted  between  this  and  the  Omdurman 
Fort  (whether  by  bullet  or  otherwise  is  not  known 
as  yet).  Considering  that  the  Arab  mountain  gun 
can  (and  has)  made  holes  tioo  feet  square  in  the 
steamer,  my  anxiety  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  (I 
feel  as  if  I  had  walked  thirty  miles.)  We  fired 
eighty-three  rounds  of  Krupp  at  the  Arabs  from 
Mogrim,  forty-three  rockets.  The  Arabs  fired  three 
hundred  and  seventy  rounds  from  their  guns  at  the 
steamers.  As  for  ammunition  (Remington),  we 
fired  from  our  steamers^  forts,  &c.,  fifty  thousand 
rounds  ;  and  I  certainly  think  the  Arabs  fired  as 
much.     Omdurman  certainly  was  "  over-eager  to 


292  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

FIRE  ON  THE  ENEMY  "  ^'  in  the  early  dawn,  and  con- 
sequently wasted  ammunition.  This  ends  the  great- 
est battle  {as  yet)  of  our  second  blockade.  Spies 
(of  last  night)  say  it  was  undertaken  against  the 
Mahdi's  wish,  by  his  Khalifa  or  Vizier,  who  per- 
suaded him  to  allow  it.  During  all  through,  the 
Arabs  of  the  South  and  East  never  moved  a  peg. 
Like  the  Chinese,  one  may  calculate  they  will  never 
assist  one  another. 

This  is  our  first  encoimter  with  the  Mahdi's  per- 
sonal troojjs.  One  tumbles  at  3  a.  m.  into  a  troubled 
sleep  ;  a  drum  beats  —  tup  !  tup !  tup  !  It  comes 
into  a  dream,  but  after  a  few  moments  one  becomes 
more  awake,  and  it  is  revealed  to  the  brain  that  one 
is  in  KaTtoum.  The  next  query  is,  where  is  this 
tup,  tupping  going  on?  A  hope  arises  it  will  die 
away.  No,  it  goes  on,  and  increases  in  intensity. 
The  thought  strikes  one,  "  Have  they  enough  ammu- 
nition ?  "  (the  excuse  of  bad  soldiers).  One  exerts 
oneself.  At  last,  it  is  no  use,  up  one  must  get,  and 
go  on  to  the  roof  of  the  Palace ;  then  telegrams, 
orders,  swearing,  and  cursing  goes  on  till  about  9 
A.  M.  Men  may  say  what  they  like  about  glorious 
war,  but  to  me  it  is  a  horrid  nuisance  (if  it  is  per- 
mitted to  say  anything  is  a  nuisance  which  comes 
on  us).  I  saw  that  poor  little  beast  the  Husseinyeh 
(a  Thames  launch)  fall  back,  stern  foremost,  under 
a  terrific  fire  of  breech-loaders.  I  saw  a  shell  strike 
the  water  at  her  bows  ;  I  saw  her  stop  and  puff  off 
steam,  and  I  gave  the  glass  to  my  boy,  sickened  unto 
death.,  and  I  will  say  my  thoughts  turned  on  .  .  . 
87  Vidt  General  Graham's  despatch  in  re  Black  Watch.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  293 

more  than  on  any  one,  and  they  are  not  beneficent 
towards  him.  My  boy  (he  is  thirty)  said,  "  Hus- 
seinyeh  is  sick."  I  knew  it,  but  said  quietly,  "  Go 
down  and  telegraph  to  Mogrim,^^  '  Is  Husseinyeh 
sick  ? '  "  Answer,  "  No."  I  asked  again  ;  answer, 
"  No."     Then  telegraph  said,  "  She  was  aground." 

2.45  P.  M.  The  Ismailia  tried  to  take  the  Hus- 
seinyeh off,  and  got  struck  twice,  in  addition  to  the 
three  times  before  mentioned,  with  shells,  so  she  de- 
sisted from  the  attempt.  The  Arabs  are  firing  on 
the  Husseinyeh.  I  have  ordered  the  Krupp  of 
Mogrim  to  play  on  the  Arab  guns,  and  shall  wait 
till  night  to  take  off  the  Husseinyeh.  She  is  nearer 
to  the  left  bank  than  to  the  right  bank ;  it  is  not 
clear  if  she  is  aground  or  half  sunk  (equally  a 
trouble).  3.30  p.  m.  The  Arabs  are  bringing  their 
guns  nearer  to  the  aground  or  half-sunken  Hussein- 
yeh. The  Ismailia  reports  that  the  two  last  shells 
have  done  her  no  material  damage.  4.30  p.  m.  The 
Arabs  have  now  three  guns  bearing  on  the  Hussein- 
yeh. 6  P.  M.  The  firing  has  ceased,  I  hope  to  get 
the  Husseinyeh  off  at  night.  7  P.  M.  The  Arabs 
keep  up  a  dropping  fire  on  the  Husseinyeh.,  who,  I 
hear,  has  two  shell  holes  in  her,  and  has  six  men, 
including  the  captain,  wounded.  I  must  say  the 
Arabs  to-day  showed  the  greatest  of  pluck ;  over 
and  over  again  they  returned  to  the  attack,  though 
overwhelmed  with  the  musketry  fire  of  the  castel- 
lated Ismailia.  I  think  they  must  have  lost  heavily, 
for  at  times  they  were  in  dense  groups.  I  believe 
that  by  the  Arabs  we  may  understand  our  own  reg- 
88  Fort  Mogrim.  —  Ed. 


294  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

iilars  captured  in  Kordofan  and  Darfvr,  ^c.  "We 
are  going  to  get  the  Husseinyeh  off  to-night  if  we 
can.  No  Royal  Navy  vessels  would  have  behaved 
better  than  the  Ismctilia  to-day ;  she  passed  and  re- 
passed the  Arab  guns  upwards  of  twenty  times, 
when  any  one  well -placed  shell  would  have  sunk 
her.  Whether  the  crew  knew  it  or  not  does  not 
matter.  /  did,  and  felt  comfortable  accordingly. 
The  Arab  guns  were  not  1200  yards  distant  from 
her,  and  even  less  at  times.  She  was  struck  five 
times  with  shell.  Remember  that  the  Isniailia  is 
only  a  superior  penny  boat,  and  that  the  Egyptiar 
mountain  gun  is  as  superior  to  our  wi'etched  seven- 
pounders  as  a  three-pounder  is  to  a  twelve-pounder 
howitzer,  both  for  range  and  for  effect.  You  want 
a  gun  to  make  a  hole,  not  a  gimlet-hole,  which  these 
seven -pounders  do,  and  what  wearisome  work  to 
carry  them ! 

All  this  worry  is  (humanly  speaking)  due  to  that 
chocolate-coloured  clerk  of  the  telegraph  not  warn- 
ing me.  This  evening  there  was  an  ominous  sign 
that  the  Arabs  on  the  Blue  Nile  knew  of  our  trou- 
bles with  the  Husseinyeh.  They  came  up  against 
Bourr^,  but  two  gunshots  drove  them  off.  At  4 
p.  M.  the  Arabs  on  the  right  bank  of  the  White  Nile 
fired  twelve  shells  against  the  lines,  and  opened  a 
fire  of  musketry  for  a  short  time,  but  did  no  harm. 
I  have  given  half  a  month's  pay  to  the  Isniailia  and 
to  the  Husseinyeh  crews,  and  12  for  the  men  who 
have  gone  to  get  the  latter  off ;  she  is  not  half  sunk., 
but  is  aground.  There  is  (8  p.  m.)  a  fire  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  White  Nile,  opposite  to  Halfeyeh. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  295 

The  Arabs  got  into  the  ditch  of  the  entrenched 
camp  at  Omdurman,  which  is  theirs.  We  only  oc- 
cupy the  fort  X.  Hicks'  army  were  in  this  en- 
trenched camp.     Arabs  came  to  Y. 

8.15  P.  M.  The  Arabs  have  still  their  guns  on  the 
river  bank,  and  are  firing  at  the  Husseinyeh,  whom 
I  am  trying,  by  my  men,  to  get  off.  Evidently  they 
are  not  cowed,  for  generally  they  take  their  guns 


back  at  night  to  their  camp.  Report  from  the  IIus- 
seinyeh  steamer :  10.20  p.  m.  Wounded,  6  ;  killed, 
3 ;  efforts  as  yet  are  ineffectual  as  to  taking  off  the 
steamer  Htisseinyeh. 

November  13.  —  The  Ismailia,  2  A.  m.,  got  struck 


296  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

by  two  shells  (?)  ^^  going  to  take  off  the  ffussein- 
yeh  ;  so  we  took  her  gun  out,  and  her  crew,  and  have 
left  her.  At  5.30  a.  m.  the  Arabs  commenced  firing 
on  the  lines  at  Bourre,  and  7  A.  M.  I  see  they  are 
coming  across  to  Goba,  bringing  a  gun  with  them. 
The  Arabs  at  Omdurman  are  quiet.  The  Arabs 
have  fired  five  times  with  their  gun  at  the  Omdur- 
man Fort.  The  Arabs  have  got  their  gun  at  the 
village  outside  Sheikh  Ali,  near  the  end  of  the 
lines  on  the  White  Nile,  and  have  fired  shells  at 
the  lines.  Our  telegraph  was  cut  yesterday  even- 
ing with  Omdurman  Fort,  and  cannot  be  repaired 
(8  A.  M.),  for  the  Arabs  are  shelling  that  fort.  The 
Arabs,  on  the  North  Side,  have  their  gun  on  the  low 
sand  hills  some  4000  yards  off,  and  are  shelling  us ; 
musketry  firing  going  on  at  Bourre.  The  Arabs 
had  their  guns  last  night  defending  the  approach  to 
the  Husseinyeh.  We  are  repairing  the  Ismailia ; 
the  barricade  of  the  steersman  of  the  Husseinyeh 
got  struck  by  a  shell.  We  raised  a  parapet  on  the 
river  bank  to  defend  any  approach  of  the  Arabs  to 
the  Husseinyeh.  Omdurman  had  yesterday  a  quar- 
ter of  a  million  cartridges  —  Remington. 

Omdurman  Fort  has  one  and  a  half  month's  sup- 
ply of  food  and  water  ;  it  was  a  fault  to  place  it  so 
far  from  the  river ;  '^'^  yesterday  it  had  not  its  flag 
up ;  to-day  it  has.  The  Arabs  have  sent  250  men 
to  Goba ;  but  the  village  Hogali,  which  was  the  one 
close  to  the  Palace,  having  been  levelled,  they  are 
too  far  off  to  do  us  any  harm.     There  is  a  report  in 

39  1  expect  that  this  story  of  the  Ismailia  being  again  struck  twice 
is  a  fib ! 

40  I.e.  1200  yards.  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


297 


town,  tlie  Arabs  say  ,they  will  enter  it  to-morrow, 
and  say  their  prayers  in  the  mosque  on  Friday. 
The  Arabs  at  Goba  are  wasting  a  lot  of  ammunition 
(Remington)  ;  their  bullets  do  not  reach  us.^^  They 
will  be  bothered  for  water,  for  we  filled  up  all  the 
wells  in  Goba.  9.15  a.  m.  The  Arabs  have  re- 
turned from  Goba.  10  A.  M.  They  have  made  a 
long  dHour^^'^  and  have  gone  to  the  prolongation  of 
our  lines  at  Bourre,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Blue 
Nile,  where  they  are  firing  heavily.  I  expect  we 
fired  50,000  rounds  yesterday,  and  the  Arabs  rather 
more,  while  to-day  the  Arabs  have  fired  a  great 
deal.  We  calculate  that  with  Hicks'  army  was  lost 
1,000,000  cartridges,  and  now  it  is  a  year  ago,  dur- 
ing which  time,  with  the  firing  there  and  elsewhere 


XOmdurman 


during  a  year,  two  thirds  of  that  million  must  have 
been  expended,  and  they  have  no  means  to  renew 
the  cartridges ;  they  cannot  have  much  more  than 
300,000  rounds. 


*i  Goba  is  rather  more  than  a  mile  from  the  Palace  of  Kartoum.—  Ed. 
*2  /.  e.  to  escape  the  guns  of  the  North  Fort.  —  Ed. 


298  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

The  Arabs  have  now  gone  from  opposite  Bourre 
(11  A.  M.),  having*  fired  a  nice  lot  of  ammunition, 
and  hurt  no  one  in  the  fort.  Omdurman  Fort  is 
still  cut  off  from  us ;  Arabs  at  A  B  c.  The  Arabs 
certainly  got  the  best  of  it  yesterday,  though  I  ex- 
pect they  paid  for  it.  It  appears  the  Husseinyeh  got 
aground  through  the  captain,  who  was  afterwards 
wounded,  not  doing  what  the  Reis  told  him.  For- 
tmiately  I  had  foreseen  the  likelihood  of  the  fort  at 
Omdurman  being  cut  off,  and  had  provisioned  it. 
If  the  Expedition  comes  at  all,  it  ought  to  be  here 
before  long.  We  had  fifteen  men  wounded  yester- 
day, three  rather  dangerously,  and  seven  were  killed. 
I  never  feel  anxious  about  any  of  the  fights,  except 
when  the  steamers  are  engaged,  and  then  I  own  I 
am  on  tenter-hooks  as  long  as  they  are  out.  1  p.  m. 
The  Arabs  have  got  four  guns  down  on  the  river, 
and  are  firing  across  the  river  at  the  Mogrim  Fort, 
which  is  answering  by  Krupp  and  rockets.  We  are 
not  fortunate  with  the  little  steamers  I  had  brought 
out  in  sections  from  England  ;  we  have  lost,  at  any 
rate  temporaTily^  one,  the  Husseinyeh ;  another, 
the  Abbas,  where  is  she  ?  And  the  Arabs  have  the 
third,  the  Mahomet  AH,  on  the  Blue  Nile.  The 
Arabs  fired  four  gims  on  the  lines  near  the  White 
Nile  this  morning  (they  fired  sixty  rounds).  Mus- 
ketry (3  p.  M.)  going  on  across  river  between  our 
men  and  the  Arabs.  Certainly  we  have  been  left  to 
almost  the  very  last  extremity,  and  I  declare  I  think 
the  year  will  be  complete,  from  the  time  Cairo 
heard  of  Hicks'  defeat  to  the  time  of  the  Relief  Ex- 
pedition arriving  here ! ! !     And  .  I  am  sure,  if  an 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  299 

enquiry  was  made,  it  would  be  made  out  no  one 
was  to  blame. 

The  Arabs  have  eighteen  boats  plying  as  ferry 
from  one  side  of  the  White  Nile  to  the  other.  They 
may  try  with  these  boats  to  get  hold  of  the  Hussein- 
yeh,  or  else  to  board  her ;  there  are  only  some  bags 
of  biscuits  on  board  ;  but  as  the  steamer  is  blinded, 
if  Arabs  once  get  on  board,  it  would  be  very  difficult 
to  dislodge  them,  unless  we  sink  the  steamer,  for 
they  will  find  the  biscuit  and  so  have  plenty  to  eat. 
Fifteen  shells  fell  into  the  town  this  morning,  but 
did  no  harm. 

Nearly  all  the  Arab  force  which  came  on  the 
north  side  to-day  were  slaves,  with  them  perhaps 
forty  horsemen  Arabs.  Eventually  the  Arabs  will 
find  out  the  inconvenience  of  these  Mamelukes.^^ 
Four  bullets  came  from  the  Arabs  to  the  Palace  to- 
day —  2800  yards  —  and  came  with  a  good  force. 
A  native  of  Kartoum  came  and  complained  he  had 
had  nothing  to  eat  for  himself  and  family  for  four 
days ;  they  found  eight  ardebs  of  dhoora  in  his 
house  ;  in  another  house  forty  ardebs  were  found. 

Novemher  14.  —  8  a.  m.  The  Arabs  on  both  sides 
of  the  Blue  Nile  began  firing  on  Bourre  at  5.30  A.  m., 
and  it  is  going  on  now.  They  kept  up  for  more 
than  quarter  of  an  hour  a  continuous  roll  of  fire,  and 
have  wasted  a  precious  lot  of  ammunition.  They 
brought  down  one  of  their  guns  and  fired  a  few 
rounds.     Up   to   this  time  no  one   is  wounded   at 

Bourre. 

43  1.  e.  mounted  Arabs.  — Ed. 


300  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Two  men  crossed  from  Omdurman,  and  report 
Ferratch  Ullah  as  all  riglit,  and  as  having  no  men 
wounded  in  the  fort.  The  Arabs  fired  their  gims 
on  the  fort  this  morning. 

An  Arab  tried  to  swim  off  to  the  H^usseinyeh^ 
whom  (they  say  f)  our  men  shot. 

I  wonder  where  King  John  is,  with  his  200,000 
soldiers  ? 

I  argue  thus :  1.  It  would  be  impossible  for  the 
Expeditionary  Force,  once  having  come  to  Dongola, 
not  to  move  up  to  Metemma,  or  to  the  vicinity  of 
Berber.  2.  That  once  at  Metemma,  or  at  Berber, 
they  will  find  the  steamers,  and  consequently  must 
communicate  with  Kartomn,  3.  Once  they  com- 
municate wath  Kartoum  they  must  assume  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  government  of  that  place  (of 
course,  when  once  that  responsibility  is  assumed,  the 
decision  as  to  what  they  will  do  rests  with  them). 

4.  It  is  imjDossible  for  them  to  loiter  long  on  the 
road  between  Dongola  (or  Debbeh)  and  Metemma. 

5.  It  will  be  impossible  for  them,  ouiing  to  the 
events  of  the  last  few  days^  to  avoid  collision  with 
the  Arabs  around  Kartoum.  A  week  ago  it  might 
have  been  possible,  but  now  the  Arabs  are  too  close 
to  the  town  to  avoid  it.  Omdurman  Fort  being  cut 
off  wiU  oblige  action  being  taken  to  re-open  com- 
munications. The  Arabs  may  run  away.,  but,  some- 
how, since  a  few  days,  I  doubt  it. 

A  soldier  came  in  to  the  North  Fort  from  the 
Arabs  this  morning. 

Another  fib  —  they  told   me  that  they  had  got 
^4  /.  e.  it  would  have  been  possible  had  the  force  started  earlier.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  301 

everything  out  of  the  Htisseinyeh  but  the  biscuit :  it 
appears  that  the  ammunition  is  still  in  her. 

No  church  parade  on  the  right  bank  of  Nile 
(Kalakla),  but  one  is  going  on  at  GirafEe  on  the 
Blue  Nile.  It  appears  last  night  that  a  boat  went 
off  to  the  Husseinyeh,  that  the  men  in  this  boat  got 
frightened  at  the  challenge  of  our  own  men  and 
jumped  into  the  water,  and  left  their  boat.  I  went 
down  to  Mogrim,  and  found  the  Ismailia  has  been 
struck  by  seven  shells,  and  is  pockmarked  with  bul- 


lets all  over.  The  Arabs  (some  400  rifles)  line  a 
long  trench  opposite  the  Husseinyeh :  we  have 
erected  a  parapet  on  our  side  opposite  her.  The 
Arabs  have  four  guns,  from  which  they  kept  up  a 
desultory  fire,  doing  no  harm.  The  Arabs'  rifle-fire 
is  continuous  and  futile  ;  ours  is  less  heavy,  but  I  ex- 
pect equally  futile,  for  the  Arabs  keep  under  cover. 
The  Arabs  fired  regular  volleys,  upwards  of  five, 
while  I  was  there :  they  appear  to  delight  in  the 
noise.  The  Husseinyeh  is  about  1200  yards  from 
the  point  x,  800  yards  from  Y,  and  1000  yards  to  z, 
where  my  trench  is. 

The  Husseinyeh  lies  just  off  the  end  of  the  en- 
trenchment of  Omdurman  entrenched  camp. 


302 


GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


She  has  her  stern  to  the  Arabs. 

A  soldier  came  in  to  the  North  Fort  from  the 


Arabs  on  the  Blue  Nile,  and  reports  that  a  man  with 
letters  came  the  night  before  last  to  the  fort  of  Om- 
durman  and  called  out  to  the  sentries,  but  before 
they  could  let  him  into  the  fort  the  Arabs  captured 
him  and  the  letters.  I  hope  to  be  able  to-night  to 
communicate  by  bugle  sounds  with  Omdurman  Fort. 

Revised  list  of  the  robbery  ;  172,000  okes  of  bis- 
cuit they  change  every  day.  We  have  to-day  in  the 
magazine  240,000  okes  of  biscuit,  1,326  ardebs  of 
dhoora.  Have  ordered  1000  okes  to  be  given  away, 
and  4000  okes  to  be  sold. 

The  Omdurman  Fort  is  ill  placed,  as  it  cannot  see 
the  ground  down  to  the  river,  and  is  distant  1200 
yards  from  the  river.  The  Arabs  on  left  bank  of  the 
White  Nile  opposite  the  Husseinyeh  number  500  (I 
expect  all  are  my  soldiers),  and  they  are  so  far  away 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  303 

from  any  reserve  that  it  would  be  easy  to  crush  them 
before  they  were  aided,  {/  we  dared  to  try,  which 
we  do  not.  I  was  at  Mogrim  Fort  for  half  an  hour, 
during  which  time  the  Arabs  fired,  as  I  calculated, 
fifteen  shells  and  8000  rounds,  and  no  one  was 
touched  ;  indeed,  where  their  bullets  went  I  could 
not  see  nor  hear.  No  stores  could  stand  that,  and 
up  to  sundown  they  were  still  at  it  with  rifles  and 
guns.  Bourre,  in  spite  of  all  the  heavy  firing,  has 
no  casualties ;  80,000  rounds  would  scarcely  cover 
our  united  expenditure  to-day. 

Reports  from  the  Arabs  at  different  times  said  the 
Mahdi  had  brought  200  (some  say  120)  camel  loads 
of  ammunition  (Remingtons)  from  Obeyed  —  say 
200,  and  say  that  each  camel  carried  2  boxes,  each 
box  1000,  so  that  he  had,  before  he  began,  800,000 
rounds  ;  he  must  have  expended  in  the  last  week 
250,000  to  300,000  rounds,  and  has  left  550,000 
rounds  or  500,000  rounds.  I  do  not  expect  he  has 
200,000  rounds  left,  which  is  his  weekly  expenditure 
if  he  goes  on  at  the  rate  he  is  going  now.  We  turn 
out  on  an  average  40,000  rounds  a  week,  and  are 
well  ahead  of  our  requirements.  Looking  at  the 
Arab  gunners  with  my  telescope,  they  never  seem  to 
bother  themselves  about  aim,  but  just  to  load  and 
fire.  It  is,  of  course,  different  when  the  steamers 
are  in  action.  The  officer  in  command  of  Mogrim 
Fort  was  wounded  in  the  arm  at  sundown.  The 
captain  of  the  Husseinyeh  died  to-day.  We  suppose 
that  on  board  the  Husseinyeh,  are  the  men  I  men- 
tioned as  having  jumped  out  of  the  boat  last  night 
on  the  challenge  of  the  sentry,  also  a  soldier  of  Om- 


304  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL 

durman  who  swam  off  to  her  with  letters  from  Fer- 
ratch  Bey,  commandant  of  the  fort,  so  we  are  send- 
ing off  a  boat  to  the  Husseinyeh  to  take  them  off. 
A  workman  in  the  arsenal  was  wounded  to-day  by 
a  ball  from  Bourre,  distant  2300  yards.  The  Arab 
fire  on  Bourre  renders  the  vicinity  of  the  Palace  far 
more  dangerous  than  Bourr^,  the  balls  fall  so  plenti- 
fully around  the  Mudirat,  which  is  close  by,  that  the 
Greek  Consul  was  obliged  to  lay  to  for  some  time  till 
the  firing  ceased :  it  is  at  least  2500  to  3000  yards 
from  the  Palace  to  the  place  the  Arabs  fire  from. 

We  have  put  the  gun  of  the  steamer  Ismailia  on 
the  bank  of  the  Nile,  to  cover  the  approach  to  the 
Hussemyeh  ;  the  Greek  Consul  says  "  the  balls  fall 
like  water  "  on  the  road  leading  to  the  Palace.  I 
believe  a  good  deal,  if  you  have  the  ammunition,  in 
the  dropping  fire  of  rifles,  even  at  three  thousand 
yards ;  the  balls  that  fell  on  the  Palace  are  fairly 
flattened,  showing  they  have  plenty  of  life  to  kill. 
The  buglers  have  communicated  with  Fort  Omdur- 
man,  who  are  all  well.  8  p.  m.  to-morrow  we  will 
have  signals  with  flags.  Out  of  evil  comes  good  — 
if  the  Husseinyeh  was  not  aground,  the  Arabs,  in- 
stead of  concentrating  their  force  and  attention  on 
her,  woidd  have  devoted  it  to  the  fort,  which,  cut  off, 
would  suffer  ;  as  it  is  now,  the  fort  is  unmolested. 
Bullets  rained  on  the  hospital  yesterday  and  to-day, 
but  did  no  harm  !  I  calculate  that  the  Ismailia  has 
two  thousand  bullet  marks  on  her. 

November  15.  —  Last  night  we  sent  off  a  boat  to 
the  Husseinyeh,  and  took  off  the  soldier  of  Ferratch 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  305 

Ullah  Bey,  who  had  come  from  Omdiirman,  also  the 
ten  men  who  jumped  into  the  water  from  their  boat 
the  night  before.  Ferratch  Ullah  writes  he  is  all 
well ;  he  wants  ammunition  !  !  !  he  had  230,000 
rounds  three  days  ago :  he  says  he  has  now  150,000 
rounds ;  also  he  has  regulars,  470,  each  100  rounds, 
47,000;  he  has  irregulars,  170,  each  200  rounds, 
34,000 ;  altogether,  in  magazine  of  fort,  150,000 
rounds,  and  with  the  men  81,000 ;  total  ammunition 
in  fort,  231,000  rounds:  yet  he  calls  for  ammuni- 
tion !  !  !  Hicks  took  1,000,000.  The  buglers  com- 
municated well  with  the  fort  at  Omdurman  ;  buglers 
then  spoke  the  soldiers  on  Mahdi's  side,  but  they  did 
not  answer  ;  we  invited  them  to  come  over  to  us. 

The  five  feluccas,  which  took  the  men  off  the 
Husseinyeh^  were  not  seen  by  the  Arabs.  I  sent  an 
engineer  to  take  off  the  steam-valves  of  the  Hus- 
seinyeh  ;  the  five  feluccas  took  off,  this  time,  every- 
thing from  the  Husseinyeh,  biscuit,  ammunition,  &c., 
&c.  It  appears  that  the  Arabs,  who  were  watching 
the  Husseinyeh,  had  gone  off  to  Merowe,  opposite 
Halfeyeh  ;  but  this  is  doubtful. 

At  dawn  the  Arabs  opened  a  heavy  fire  with  the 
usual  futile  efforts  on  Bourr^,  also  they  fired  with 
gun  and  musketry  on  Omdurman  Fort. 

At  Omdurman  Fort  they  have  had,  in  the  last 
few  days,  four  killed  and  sixteen  wounded. 

A  shell  from  the  Arabs  struck  the  Husseinyeh 
yesterday,  but  did  no  harm,  for  she  is  well  aground. 
No  wounded  at  Bourr^  to-day  by  the  Arab  fire. 

The  Bimbashi,  who  was  wounded  in  the  arm  yes- 
terday evening,  was  lying  on  his  angarep  ^^  when  he 

45  /,  e.  a  bedstead.  — Ed. 


306  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

was  wounded :  he  thought  it  a  secure  place  ;  he  died 
to-day. 

The  Arabs  from  Omdurman  side  of  the  river 
have  kept  up  a  desultory  fire  of  guns  and  musketry 
all  day  ;  but  at  sundown  the  fire  was  much  heaArier, 
and  if  the  Arabs  go  on  like  that  for  many  days, 
they  will  be  out  of  ammunition,  both  gun  and  I'ifle. 

It  has  turned  out  a  benefit  for  us  the  Husseinyeh 
going  aground,  for  the  attention  of  the  Arabs  is 
devoted  to  her,  and  they  fire  scarcely  at  all  on  the 
fort  at  Omdurman  ;  even  if  we  had  her,  she  could 
do  little  good  :  the  other  little  steamer  will  be  com- 
pleted in  twelve  days. 

I  think  I  have  been  rather  unjust  towards  the  fel- 
laheen soldier,  for  though  he  is  not  brave  enough  to 
take  the  field,  he  has  done  good  work  on  board  the 
steamers,  and  a  good  many  of  their  officers  and  men 
have  been  killed  and  wounded  (thanks  to  the  policy 
that  has  been  followed  elsewhere)  in  a  quarrel 
which  does  not  concern  them.  These  remarks  are 
produced  by  a  visit  I  made  to  the  hospital  to-day, 
when  I  saw  the  mass  of  the  wounded  were  fellaheen 
soldiers,  whom  I  put  in  the  steamers,  because,  when 
in  action,  they  could  not  run  away,  while  I  kept  the 
blacks  for  the  defence  of  the  lines.  As  I  was  leav- 
ing the  hospital  to-day,  a  dead  man  was  carried  out 
by  four  men  in  chains  (convicts)  on  a  stretcher,  ac- 
companied by  two  soldiers  with  fijced  bayonets  —  to 
be  buried  as  a  dog !  This  is  part  of  the  glory  of 
war  !  According  to  the  demands  for  ammunition,  we 
are  firing  away  40,000  rounds  per  diem ;  the  officers 
ask  for  fresh  Remingtons,  as  by  the  constant  firing 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  307 

those  they  have  are  out  o£  order.  I  feel  quite  indif- 
ferent, for,  if  not  relieved  for  a  month,  our  food 
supply  fails,  and  even  at  the  above  rate  of  expendi- 
ture of  ammunition  we  have  fifty  days'  cartridges.  I 
like  to  go  down  with  our  colours  flying.  The  Arabs 
are  quite  equalling  us  in  expenditure,  and  they  have 
no  reserve  of  ammunition,  or  means  of  repairing 
their  arms.  I  am  going  to  call  the  new  steamer  the 
Ziibair,  after  Zubair  Pasha  Rahama ;  *^  the  town 
wanted  it  called  after  me,  but  I  said,  "  I  have  put 
most  of  you  in  prison  and  otherwise  bullied  you,  and 
I  have  no  fear  of  your  forgetting  me." 

JVovemher  16.  —  The  Arabs  quiet,  little  firing  at 
Mogrim ;  I  expect  the  Mahdi  has  found  out  that  his 
men  have  been  making  away  with  his  ammunition 
too  fast,  even  as  I  have  found  it  out.  A  small  fan- 
tasie  or  church  parade  is  going  on  near  the  Mahdi's 
camp  this  morning. 

The  Arabs  at  the  Mahdi's  camp  have  moved  the 
camp  further  inland  ;  they  did  this  at  sundown  yes- 
terday. It  is  on  the  tapis  that  they  may  retire  al- 
together ;  if  so  it  will  be  glorious.  The  camp  oppo- 
site the  lines  on  South  is  much  diminished,  not 
more  than  five  or  six  tents.  The  Arabs  there  have 
gone  to  Giraffe  and  El  foun  on  the  Blue  Nile. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Arab  guns  firing  on  Mo- 
grim, and  our  guns  answering,  everything  is  quiet 
to-day.    In  a  couple  of  hours  the  Arabs  fired  sixteen 

46  Not  because  General  Gordon  held  Zubair  in  esteem,  but  as  a  record 
of  how  often  he  had  asked  for  his  presence,  and  of  how  closely  his  ab- 
sence was  connected  with  the  welfare  of  the  Soudan.  —  Ed. 


308  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

shells  without  the  least  effect.  Their  gun  ammu- 
nition must  be  nearly  expended.  A  woman  was 
slightly  wounded  at  Bourr^  this  morning.  The 
Arabs  work  on  a  regular  principle  with  the  cap- 
tured black  troops.  They  know  that  they  will  escape 
to  us  if  they  can,  in  the  first  instance,  so  they  keep 
them  on  short  rations,  and  promise  them  full  rations 
if  they  fight  us.  They  then  force  them  into  contact 
with  us  for  (at  first)  appearance'  sake  and  to  get 
the  full  rations;  when  in  contact  with  us  we  fire 
on  and  kill  some  of  them,  then  their  black  blood 
gets  up,  and  they  retaliate  en  bonne  volonte,  and 
are  egged  on  by  the  Arabs,  who  say  to  them,  "  Now 
you  have  fired  on  the  Government  troops  you  are 
in  for  it ;  the  Government  will  never  pardon  you," 
and  so  thus  we  get  no  more  deserters.  It  was  the 
same  way  at  Bourre ;  before  we  fired  on  the  Arabs 
we  got  plenty  of  deserters,  but  when  once  we  gave 
them  a  slating  no  more  came  in ;  they  are  compro- 
mised with  the  Mahdi's  cause,  and  afraid  of  us  if 
they  come  in.  The  Janissaries  were  the  children  of 
Christian  parents  captured  when  young,  and  they 
fought  with  vigour  against  the  Christians  when  they 
grew  up.  Scarcely  ever  is  the  true  Arab  in  the 
front,  so  they  say. 

We  have  ninety  men  in  hospital  at  present,  of 
whom  fifty-four  are  wounded.  We  had  one  man 
killed,  and  one  wounded  at  Mogrini  to-day.  A 
woman  was  wounded  in  the  town  yesterday.  Report 
in  town  says  seventy  of  our  captured  soldiers  have 
deserted  and  have  entered  the  fort  at  Omdurman. 

Having  been  assured  by  my  officers  that  it  was  a 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  309 

most  terrible  risk  even  to  go  along  the  bank  near 
the  ITusseinyeh,  even  by  night,  owing  to  the  Arabs' 
rifle  fire,  and  being  extremely  sceptical  of  the  past 
(putting  down  the  information  given  me  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  doing  nothing  towards  taking  off  the  IIus- 
seinyeh  the  first  night  she  got  aground ;  and  also  as 
an  effort  to  enhance  the  danger  and  daring  of  those 
men  who  did  take  off  the  ammunition,  &c.,  the 
night  before  last),  I  went  down  to-night  at  11.30 
and  found  it  was  all  a  myth,  and  that  if  I  wished  I 
could  take  her  off  without  any  risk.  However,  as 
she  is  a  target  and  occupies  the  attention  of  the 
Arabs,  who  leave  the  fort  at  Omdurman  alone  in 
consequence  of  her,  1  shall  leave  her  as  she  is.  Of 
course,  needless  to  say,  I  found  all  the  officers  in 
charge  absent ;  they  had  gone  home  to  bed  I  How- 
ever, I  am  not  put  out  at  it.  They  are,  as  a  rule, 
the  very  feeblest  of  the  conies,  and  nothing  will 
change  their  nature.  The  Husseinyeh  lies  close  to 
the  junction  of  the  White  and  Blue  Niles,  and  one 
may  say  is  within  our  lines. 

I  daresay  this  is  a  repetition,  but  if  we  do  get  out 
of  this  mess  it  is  a  miracle,  for  I  do  not  think  a 
slacker  lot  of  officers  ever  could  be  found  ;  but  a  bad 
workman  always  complains  of  his  tools.  A  good 
workman  turns  out  good  work  however  rotten  his 
tools  may  be. 

Novemher  17.  —  It  is  really  amusing  to  find  (when 
one  can  scarcely  call  one's  life  one's  own)  one's  ser- 
vant, already  with  one  wife  (which  most  men  find  is 
enough),  coming  and  asking  for  leave  for  three  days. 


310  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

in  order  to  take  another  wife.  Yet  such  was  the 
case,  a  few  days  ago,  with  one  of  my  servants. 

The  Arabs  this  morning  fired  from  their  guns 
from  Bourr^,  from  the  White  Nile,  and  from  Om- 
durman ;  they  are  also  keeping  up  a  musketry  fire. 
At  the  Mahdi's  camp  they  had  another  "■  church 
parade  "  to-day.  I  suppose  they  are  working  up 
their  fanaticism.  The  Arabs  have  a  Nordenfeldt 
opposite  the  little  steamer  Husseinyeh.  The  towns- 
people are  pleased  at  the  new  steamer  being  called 
the  Zubair  ;  the  Anti-Slave  Society  will  be  furious.*'^ 
If  Zubair  had  come  up,  I  should  have  had  news  long 
before  now.'^^  It  does  seem  ridiculous  that  when  our 
apparent  policy  is  to  hand  over  the  Soudan  to  the 
Mahdi,  who  with  his  people  are  far  more  slave- 
hunters  than  Zubair  ever  would  be,  we  should  not 
have  utilized  this  man  in  this  expedition.  There  are 
about  two  hundred  people  on  the  Isle  of  Tuti,  yet 
last  night  an  Arab  came  over,  killed  a  man,  and 
carried  off  three  donkeys ;  they  do  not  deserve  the 
name  of  men.  How  Zubair  would  touch  up  these 
fellows ;  he  would  go  to  Tuti  and  give  all  the  men 
between  eighteen  and  fifty  at  least  thirty  blows  of 
Kourbatch.  I  am  obliged  to  content  myself  with 
lamentations. 

("  Count  the  months  —  March,  April,  May,  June, 
July,  August,    September,    October,  and   half   No- 

4"  "The  Committee  are  unanimous  in  the  feeling  that  countenance  in 
any  shape  for  such  an  individual  (i.  e.  Zubair)  would  be  a  degradation  to 
England  and  a  scandal  to  Europe."  —  Mr.  Sturge  to  Earl  Granville, 
British  and  Foreign  Anti-Slavery  Society,  March  lOth,  1884.  —  Ed. 

48  /.  e.  Zubair  would  have  been  able  to  obtain  it  for  me. — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  311 

vember !  Why,  I  declare,  it  is  a  breach  of  con- 
tract." 49) 

If  it  be  true  about  the  repulse  of  the  Abyssinians 
at  Keren,  I  expect  there  were  roars  of  laughter  in 
Downing  Street  at  the  greenness  of  His  Majesty 
the  Emperor  John  (as  Mitzakis  calls  him).  It  is 
very  odd,  but  we  have  had  no  news  of  Kassala  for 
months,  not  since  September.  .  .  .  to  .  .  .  :  "  You 
said  it  was  too  dreadful ;  what  will  you  say  when  I 
tell  you  he  has  made  sketches  of  you  and  ME  ?  and, 
how  horrible  to  relate,  put  them  in  his  demi-official 
journal  ;  and  we  can  do  absolutely  nothing,  for  if  he 
is  attacked  as  being  a  British  officer,  he  says  he 
made  the  sketches  as  Governor-General,  and  vice 
versd^ 

Independent  of  my  regret  for  Stewart,  the  loss  of 
his  Journal  affects  me,  for  there  were  lots  of  things 
in  it  of  interest.  All  the  powers  (including  the 
Pope,  and  excluding  England  and  France)  were  ap- 
pealed to  in  a  touching  memo.,  to  raise  an  auxiliary 
force  under  Baker,  &c.,  &c.,  and  to  stop  the  wave  of 
dervish  fanaticism.  I  also  wrote  to  the  Sultan.  I 
do  not  know  if  these  appeals  ever  got  through,  but 
Stewart  had  them  all  copied  in  his  Journal.  Events 
and  my  discourses  had  almost  made  him,  latterly,  as 
vicious  as  I  am.  Baring's  ears  ought  to  have  burned ; 
for  the  last  eight  months,  he  was  nicely  dissected  by 

*9  "You  will  bear  in  mind  the  main  end  to  be  pursued  is  the  evacua- 
tion of  the  Soudan. 

"  In  undertaking  this  difficult  task  which  now  lies  before  you,  you 
may  feel  assured  that  no  effort  will  be  wanting  on  the  part  of  the  Cairo 
authorities,  whether  English  or  Egyptian,  to  afford  you  all  the  co-oper- 
ation and  support  in  their  power."  — Sir  E.  Baring  to  Major-General 
Gordon,  Inclosure  in  Egypt  No.  G.  —  Ed. 


312  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

us  all  (Power  aiding).  If  Herbin,  the  French  Con- 
sul, had  got  down,  Baring  would  have  had  a  time  of 
it,  for  Herbin  says  that  Barere,  the  French  minister, 
went  to  Baring  before  Herbin  left,  and  Baring  did 
not  tell  (Barere)  any  thing  about  the  evacuation  of 
the  Soudan.  Of  course  Baring  will  shelter  himself 
under  the  "  fiction "  that  he,  as  British  Minister, 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  What  a  farce,  if  it  did 
not  deal  with  men's  lives. 

When  one  thinks  that  Baring  works  harder  than 
a  galley  slave  for  such  wretched  results,  one  ought 
to  pity  him. 

I  have  sent  150  of  these  superior  troops  (the 
Shaggyeh)  to  the  Isle  of  Tuti,  in  consequence  of  the 
outrage  of  last  night  (which  I  do  not  believe  in, /or 
that  one  man  came  over  and  hilled  another  man,  and 
carried  off  three  donkeys  in  a  small  boat  is  absurd). 
However,  the  Shaggyeh  are  safer  in  the  Isle  of  Tuti 
than  in  the  North  Fort.  At  7  P.  m.  the  Arabs  came 
down  and  fired  on  Bourre  from  the  left  bank  of  the 
Blue  Nile.  The  officer  (a  full  colonel  of  my  crea- 
tion), asks  me  "  Is  he  to  fire  back?  "  I  said,  "  Bet- 
ter 7iot  ask  me  that  question,  unless  you  want  to 
catch  it."  7.15  p.  M.  Omdurman  Fort  is  firing 
away.  I  certainly  lay  claim  to  having  commanded, 
more  often  than  any  other  man,  cowardly  troops, 
but  this  experience  of  1884  beats  all  past  experi- 
ences ;  the  worst  of  the  matter  is,  that  you  cannot 
believe  one  word  the  officers  say.  With  respect  to 
the  major  who  was  absent  from  the  Fort  Mogrim 
last  night,  he  says  he  was  in  the  telegraph  station, 
which  is  a  direct  falsehood.     However,  I  did  noth- 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  313 

ing  to  him  more  than  call  him  a  liar,  which  he  prob- 
ably considers  a  compliment.  A  sort  of  adjutant- 
major,  whom  I  had  borne  with  for  a  long  time,  told 
me  two  cold  lies  in  two  days,  so  I  bundled  him  out. 
Can  it  be  wondered  at  that,  after  nine  months  and 
more  of  this  sort  of  military  worry,  and  ditto  of  civil 
worry,  I  am  heartily  sick  of  the  whole  affair,  and 
provided  /  am  not  made  a  party  (and  I  loill  not  be) 
to  a  shabby  retreat,  I  should  be  glad  to  be  out  of 
this  place. 

The  Arabs  fu-ed  fifteen  shells  against  the  Fort  of 
Omdurman ;  only  one  seemed  to  strike  the  keep ; 
one  man  was  wounded  at  Mogrim  with  the  splinter 
of  a  shell.  The  Arab  gun-carriages  must  be  in  bad 
state  of  repair,  for  our  carpenters  are  continually  at 
work  making  new  ones,  and  the  Arabs  have  no 
means  of  so  doing.  The  Husseinyeh  lies  just  off 
the  division  of  the  White  and  the  Blue  Niles,  and 
not  as  I  showed  her  position,  page  801.  All  the 
scratched  out  portion  is  abuse  of  Baring.^*^  Some 
one  said,  "  If  you  feel  angry,  then  write  your  angry 
letter,  and  then  tear  it  up."  It  certainly  does  re- 
lieve the  mind  to  write  one's  bile,  and  it  is  good  also 
to  scratch  it  out,  for  I  dare  say  Baring  is  doing  his 
duty  better  than  I  am  ;  he  is  certainly  more  patri- 
otic, if  patriotism  consists  in  obedience  to  the  exist- 
ing Government  of  one's  country .^^ 

Doctor  reports  that  the  shells  and  bullets  of  the 

60  General  Gordon  has  here  drawn  his  pen  through  some  dozen  lines 
of  his  Journal.  —  Ed. 

51  Patriotism  does  not  consist  in  obedience  to  an  existing  Government, 
but  in  love  of  one's  country,  and  in  devotion  to  its  public  interest  and 
welfare.  —  Ed. 


314  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Arabs  fell  all  around  the  hospital  this  morning,  but 
did  no  harm,  they  came  from  Bourre. 

Novemher  18.  —  Everything  quiet  all  round  the 
place ;  they  fired  a  few  shots  with  their  guns  at  the 
lines  near  the  White  Nile. 

11.30.  A.  M.  The  Arabs  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Blue  Nile  have  moved  towards  the  north,  and,  from 
the  number  of  porters,  I  expect  they  are  going  to 
form  a  camp  to  the  north. 

It  may  be  turned  as  one  likes ;  three  prominent 
undeniable  facts  exist.  Her  Majesty's  Government 
refused  to  help  Egypt  with  respect  to  the  Soudan, 
refused  to  let  Egypt  help  herself,  and  refused  to 
allow  any  other  power  to  help  her :  this  cannot  be 
disputed  or  explained  away.  Lord  Dufferin's  des- 
patch was  "  hands  off."  ^^  The  resignation  of  Cherif 
was  the  prohibition  of  allowing  Egypt  to  help  her- 
self. This  tardy  succour  under  pressure,  and  Bar- 
ing's despatch,  establishes  the  unwillingness  to  help. 

The  Arabs  have  settled  down  in  the  old  Dem  they 
occupied  in  March  last ! !  opposite  the  Palace,  and 
which  they  evacuated  in  August ;  their  vicinity  will 
give  us  more  spies,  which  we  have  lacked  hitherto ; 
this  proceeding  does  not  show  as  if  they  were  much 
appalled  at  the  advance  of  the  expeditionary  force. 
On  the  12th  March  they  pitched  their  tents  on  the 
very  spot  they  are  pitching  them  now  —  251  days 
ago  —  diu-ing  which  we  have  night  and  day  been  in 

62  /.  e.  Her  Majesty's  Government  declined  to  send  troops  to  the 
Soudan,  yet  ordered  Egypt  to  evacuate  it,  and  would  not  permit  Turkish 
troops  to  assist  her.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  315 

hostilities  with  them,  and  been  obliged  to  keep  on 
the  alert  "  because  of  ?  "  "  because  of  ?  "— "  What  ?  " 
The  answer  has  been  worn  threadbare. 

The  Arab  guns  on  Omdurman  side  firing  1.30  P.  M. 
on  Mogrim.  They  have  expended  a  lot  of  gun  am- 
munition in  last  few  days.  3.30  P.  m.  They  are  still 
firing ;  one  can  distinguish  the  Nordenf eldt.  I  re- 
member how,  when  Hicks  left  for  the  Soudan,  papers 
wrote  of  the  great  effect  that  the  Nordenfeldts  were 
to  have  upon  Arabs,  like  the  French  before  the 
Franco-Prussian  war  with  their  mitrailleuses.  At 
4  p.  M.  they  fired  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  quickly. 
This  was  caused  by  five  cows  which  approached  the 
fort,  the  men  of  which  killed  three  (so  to-night  they 
will  have  meat).  The  Arabs  fired  fifteen  shells  one 
after  the  other  against  the  fort,  for  the  outrage  on 
their  property.  I  shall  have  to  move  these  superior 
troops  (the  Shaggyeh)  out  of  the  North  Fort,  for 
the  approach  of  the  Arabs  has  filled  them  with  dis- 
may. I  have  kept  moving  them  from  every  place 
the  Arabs  came  near.  It  is  really  absurd  that  one 
should  have  to  pay  and  keep  such  troops.  I  will  say 
Ferratch  Pasha  (however  irritating  he  is  in  some 
ways)  is  always  the  gentleman,  which  I  am  sorry  to 
say  /  am  not^  with  the  fury  I  get  in  on  state  occa- 
sions. A  woman  came  in  from  the  South  Front ;  she 
says  they  are  all  my  old  soldiers  who  are  fighting  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Nile,  and  that  they  lost  heav- 
ily on  the  day  the  Husseinyeh  got  aground.  I  am 
moving  these  Shaggyeh  to  the  lines ;  it  is  no  use  ex- 
posing them  to  be  attacked.  The  Arabs  now  on  the 
North  Front  opposite  the  Palace  are  the  men  of  the 


316  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Malidi,  not  as  befoi-e  the  men  of  the  Sheikh  el 
Obeyed,  who  do  not  seem  to  have  entered  cordially 
into  the  second  blockade  of  Kartoum.  We  had  to- 
night the  Arab  forces  all  around  us,  and  are  regu- 
larly hemmed  in,  but  the  town  does  not  care  a  bit, 
and  are  fighting  questions  of  pay  with  me,  for  I  am 
paying  in  paper  the  three  months'  backsheesh  I 
promised  them. 

The  major  who  was  shot  when  lying  on  his  angarep, 
and  who  died  of  his  wound,  was  3000  yards  distant 
from  the  Arabs.  We  do  not  know  yet  the  effect  of 
the  rifle  in  a  dropping  fire.  I  offered,  in  paying  the 
three  months'  backsheesh  to  the  troops,  to  give  orders 
for  bulk  sums  .£120,  X130,  but  they  refused  to  accept 
them ;  they  want  the  regular  'pai:)er  money ^  so  I 
have  issued  X10,000  more  in  £50  notes.  In  this 
paper  money  notes  /  am  personally  responsible  for 
the  liquidation,  and  any  one  may  bring  an  action 
against  me,  in  my  individual  capacity,  to  recover 
the  money,  while  in  the  orders  it  might  be  a  query 
whether  they  (the  authorities  of  Cairo)  might  not 
decline  to  pay  the  orders.  Paper  money  now  cannot 
be  bought  at  a  discount.  People  have  tried  to  buy 
it  up,  but  they  failed.^^  I  consider  this  is  very  satis- 
factory for  one's  credit.  Her  Majesty's  Government, 
as  well  as  the  Soudan  people,  will  not  need  to  name  a 
vessel  after  me  in  order  to  remember  me,  even  if  they 
felt  so  disposed,  which  I  very  much  doubt.  We  shall 
get  lots  of  spies  in  now  the  Arabs  have  hemmed 
us  in.  In  these  deserts,  if  you  leave  a  space  un- 
guarded you  see  at  once  any  one  moving  over  it; 

53  Showing  how  thoroughly  they  trusted  General  Gordon.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  317 

but  i£  you  surround  it  entirely,  there  is  the  usual 
going  to  and  fro,  and  thus  a  spy  slips  in.  I  do  not 
think  it  is  realised  what  happened  in  Hicks'  defeat 
a  year  ago.  10,000  soldiers,  including  2000  cavalry, 
4000  camp-followers,  7000  camels,  perished  in  two 
days  from  thirst;^  1700  rifles,  1,000,000  rounds 
Remington  ammunition,  were  captured ;  7  Krupps, 
6  Nordenfeldts,  29  mountain  guns,  with  500  rounds 
each,  were  captured  (perhaps  300  men  were  spared 
out  of  the  host).  Eight  Englishmen  and  8  Germans 
were  killed,  and,  according  to  all  accounts,  they  were 
so  exhausted  that  they  were  unable  to  move.  Stew- 
art took  great  pains  to  get  all  the  details,  and  wrote 
them  in  his  Journal.  The  Arabs  have  made  a  pyra- 
mid of  the  skulls.  The  major  who  was  woimded  at 
Mogrim  was  sleei^ing  in  the  telegraph  station  in  the 
fort.  He  found  it  hot,  and  went  out  and  got  struck 
and  died.  If  you  went  to  the  fort  at  Mogrim  you 
would  (on  seeing  the  position  whence  the  Arabs  fire) 
say  you  were  as  safe  there  as  in  Regent  Street.  This 
man  was  a  very  timorous  man,  and  had  avoided 
every  service  of  the  least  danger.  It  is  of  no  use 
fighting  against  your  destiny.  The  Doctor  described 
to  me  to-night  the  state  of  the  town  a  year  ago, 
when  they  heard  of  the  defeat  of  Hicks ;  and  one 
compares  it  to  our  present  state,  when  one  may  say 
perfect  confidence  exists  in  the  town,  and  every  one 
has  gone  comfortably  to  bed  —  it  is  a  lesson  to  man 
to  never  despair. 

November  19.  —  The  Arabs  came  down,  7  a.  m., 

64  See  Appendix  upon  the  insurrection  of  the  False  Prophet.  —  Ed. 


318  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

to  Goba,  opposite  the  Palace,  and  fired,  but  did  no 
harm ;  they  are  pulling  down  Seyd  Mahomet  Os- 
man's  house,  which  was  spared.  Ferratch  Ullah 
did  not  dare  to  go  out  for  the  three  cows  killed  last 
night.  The  Arabs  had  a  bugler  of  ours  mth  them 
at  Goba ;  he  bugled  a  call  "  1st  Regiment ! "  and 
then  was  apj)arently  stopped ;  he  then  bugled  "  We 
are  strong !  We  are  strong !  "  I  have  packed  up 
and  addressed  to  the  chief  of  staff,  Soudan  Expe- 
ditionary Force,  "  all  European  telegrams  sent  from 
and  received  m  the  Soudan  for  years  1883-84," 
and  send  the  box  with  this  portion  of  the  Journal.^ 
The  Arabs  have  put  a  gun  in  the  breastwork  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  White  Nile  below  Omdurman 
Fort,  so  as  to  bar  the  entrance  to  Kartoum  on  the 
north. 

We  have  communicated  with  Omdurman  Fort 
with  flags,  it  is  all  right.  The  Arabs  are  not  firing 
to-day  (since  8.30  a.  m.).  Twelve  days  have  to 
elapse  ere  the  month's  rations  become  due  ;  this  even- 
ing it  is  reported  to  me  that  those  utterly  useless 
troops  —  some  fifty  Bashi  Bazouks  —  began  crying 
that  they  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  even  went  so  far 
as  to  throw  down  their  arms  ;  now  this  is  rather  too 
much,  considering  that  they  are  receiving  the  full 
rations  of  soldiers,  and  also  the  pay  of  men  who  are 
supposed  to  find  themselves,  so  that  it  is  a  j)erfectly 
gratuitous  gift  to  give  them  rations  at  all,  or  if  I 
do  so,  I  should  cut  their  pay;  the  best  of  it  is,  that 
I  have  given  them  full  rations  for  the  month,  which 
has  twelve  days  yet  to  run  ere  that  month  is  out.     I 

S5  These  have  not  been  handed  over  by  the  Grovemment. — Ed. 


GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  319 

do  not  know  if  ever  the  Expeditionary  Force  will 
come  here,  and  I  do  not  know  the  policy  which  will 
be  pursued  ;  but  there  is  one  thing  I  think  I  am 
justified  in  demanding,  that  is  the  disbandment  of 
these  brutes,  to  whom  only  yesterday  I  gave  a  gra- 
tuity of  fifty  dollars  to  erect  their  breastwork  —  a  to- 
tally unnecessary  proceeding  on  my  part.  Of  course 
if  I  can  hand  over  the  Government  to  the  Expedi- 
tionary Force's  Leader  I  have  nothing  to  say;  he 
can  do  as  he  likes.  What  irritates  me  is,  that  a 
row  like  this  is  aided  and  abetted  by  every  officer, 
inasmuch  as  it  is  to  me  the  row  is  brought,  they 
daring  not  to  decide ;  of  course  it  must  be  seen 
that,  situated  as  we  are,  if  one  corps  can  take  rations 
for  a  month  and  eat  them  in  a  fortnight,  and  then 
get  more,  it  is  virtually  giving  double  rations  to  the 
troops,  for  if  you  gave  to  one  part,  all  the  rest 
would  want  it. 

November  20. — A  caravan  of  300  men  and  twenty 
camels  came  up  the  left  bank  of  the  White  Nile, 
from  the  direction  of  Metemma.  7  A.  M.  A  soldier 
who  came  in  from  the  Arabs  says,  "The  Mahdi 
sent  2000  men  down  towards  Metemma  on  account 
of  the  advance  of  the  Expedition,  who  are  near 
Berber."  Also  "reports  the  advance  of  King  Jo- 
hannes" (which  I  doubt).  I  expect  the  caravan 
seen  to-day  is  a  caravan  with  the  money  from  Ber- 
ber. Report  in  the  town  says  the  Arabs  have  been 
repulsed  three  times  by  the  Expeditionary  Force. 
The  Arabs  are  very  quiet  to-day ;  their  Nordenf eldt 
kept  on  grunting  at  intervals  this  morning.     Four 


320  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

of  those  precious  troops  the  Shaggyeh  (one  a  Bashi 
Bazouk)  have  deserted  to  the  Arabs ;  it  was  never 
reported  to  me.  I  have  a  suspicion  that  more  have 
gone.  We  communicated  with  Omdurman  Fort  by 
flag-signals ;  they  are  all  right.  The  Arabs  fired 
from  their  guns  on  the  White  Nile,  and  from  the 
Omdurman  side,  a  few  rounds  this  evening. 

It  is  rather  astonishing  to  find  that  the  row  about 
the  rations  the  night  before  last  was  made  by  the 
Cairo  Bashi  Bazouks,  who  are  completely  at  one's 
mercy,  for  the  Arabs  would  never  look  at  them  ;  ^ 
they  even  went  so  far  as  to  throw  down  their  arms  ! 
A  volley  of  lies  was  told  about  this  affair,  trying  to 
prevent  me  hearing  the  truth.  However,  I  got  at 
the  bottom  of  it,  and  have  noted  my  friends.  A 
merchant  here  had  a  partner  in  business,  who  went 
to  the  Arabs  eight  months  ago  with  ,£3000  belong- 
ing to  this  merchant,  who  coolly  asks  me  to  pay  the 
£3000  !  !  ! 

November  21.  —  I  do  not  believe  one  person  has 
died  of  hunger  during  the  8^  months  we  have  been 
shut  up.  Ferratch  Ullah  Bey,  in  Omdurman,  sig- 
nalled, "  Yes,  I  have  230,000  rounds,  but  I  fire  a 
lot  every  day."  Now  this  is  a  corker,  for  I  do  not 
believe  he  fires  ten  rounds  without  my  personal 
knowledge,  and  I  estimate  his  expenditure  of  am- 
munition at  under  2000  rounds  per  diem.  By  this 
I  expect  he  wants  me  to  open  the  road  to  him,  and 
ammunition  is  only  an  excuse ;  but  I  do  not  care  to 
risk  a  defeat,  or  a  momentary  success,  attended  with 
a  lot  of  wounded  (we  have  sixty  wounded  in  hospi- 
66  If  they  deserted.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  321 

tal  now).  To-day  year  came  the  news  to  Kartoum 
of  Hicks'  defeat.  He  left  this  on  the  3rd  September. 
The  Greek  Consul  and  the  Greek  Doctor  describe 
the  arrival  of  news  thus  at  Kartoum  :  At  night  came 
in  the  Bordeen  with  Coetlogon  from  the  White  Nile. 
The  Greek  Consul  was  in  his  house.  Marquet,  the 
French  Consul,  came  to  his  house  and  said,  "  Come 
to  my  house,  by  the  garden."  He  went  to  Marquet's 
house ;  he  found  Hussein  Pasha  Cheri,  Ibrahim 
Pasha  Haidar,  Coetlogon,  Power,  and  Hansall.  He 
was  told  "  Hicks  is  Jinished.^^  The  Consul  sent  a 
telegram  to  Towfik,  "  Hicks  finished."  Then  Tow- 
fik  sent  a  telegram  that  he  would  send  up  reinforce- 
ments that  night.  Towfik  had  a  large  party  at  the 
Abdeen  Palace,  and  reports  were  rife  that  something- 
bad  was  in  the  air,  but  nobody  knew  anything. 
Since  that  day  no  aid  has  come  to  Soudan.  I  hear 
that  the  day  before  yesterday  two  corporals  (one  who 
had  come  in  from  the  Arabs),  five  soldiers,  and  a 
clerk,  all  Soudan  soldiers,  deserted  to  the  Arabs. 
This  was  never  reported  to  me.  I  expect  the  officers 
have  robbed  them. 

Ferratch  Ullah  Bey,  of  Omdurman,  signals  he 
has  only  43,000  rounds  left.  This,  out  of  230,000 
rounds,  and  I  feel  sure  he  tells  fibs,  and  is  acting  in 
order  to  force  me  to  relieve  him,  which  I  shall  not 
attempt.  He  says  he  has  had  twenty-five  wounded 
and  eleven  killed.  Church  parades  all  round  to-day. 
The  Arabs  fired  at  Bourre  and  at  Tuti  this  morning. 

To-day  I  discovered  a  robbery  of  Ruckdi,  my  old 
clerk,  about  which  there  could  be  no  doubt  whatever, 
so  I  have  turned  him  out,  and  written  to  cancel  his 
21 


822  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

being  made  a  Bey.  A  woman  came  in  from  the 
Arabs.  She  says  the  Expedition  left  Merowe  for 
Berber,  and  that  Mahomet  Achmet  will  try,  on 
Monday,  the  24th  November,  to  take  Omdurman 
Fort.  This  is  disagreeable  news  !  However,  I  have 
done  what  I  can,  and  one  can  do  no  more  than  trust 
now.  What  has  been  the  painful  position  for  me  is 
that  there  is  not  one  person  on  whom  I  can  rely ; 
also,  there  is  not  one  person  who  considers  that  he 
ought  to  do  anything  except  his  routine  duty.  We 
have  now  been  months  blockaded,  and  things  are 
critical ;  yet  not  one  of  my  subordinates,  except  the 
chief  clerk  and  his  subordinate,  appears  to-day.  I 
had  to  send  for  them,  and  wait  till  they  came,  per- 
haps an  hour.  "  It  is  Friday,  and  it  is  unreasonable 
to  expect  us  at  the  office,"  is  what  they  say.  My 
patience  is  almost  exhausted  with  this  continuous 
apparently  never-ending  trial ;  there  is  not  one  de- 
partment which  I  have  not  to  superintend  as  closely 
as  if  I  was  its  direct  head.  The  officer  who  com- 
manded the  post  from  which  the  men  deserted  never 
told  me,  but  says  he  told  Ferratch  Pasha.  This 
Ferratch  Pasha  denies,  and  so  it  goes  on,  tissues  of 
lies,  and  they  no  more  care  about  being  found  out 
than  not.  It  is  indeed  hopeless  work,  and  yet,  truly, 
they  have  been  treated  most  handsomely  in  every 
way.  Nearly  every  order,  except  when  it  is  for  their 
interest,  has  to  be  repeated  two,  and  even  three, 
times.  I  may  truly  say  I  am  weary  of  my  life  ;  day 
and  night,  night  and  day,  it  is  one  continual  worry .^'' 

^  Here  succeed  some  dozen  lines  through  which  General  Gordon  has 
drawn  his  pen.    Underneath  is  written,  "  Abuse  of  Baring  &  Co. "  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  323 

Our  breastworks  at  Tuti  are  bothering  the  Arabs 
near  Omdurman.  A  soldier  came  in  from  the 
Arabs  ;  he  had  nothing  to  say  of  importance.  We 
have  got  a  breastwork  also  towards  Goba,  on  the 
Isle  of  Tuti.  I  have  given  those  improvident  troops 
15,000  okes  of  biscuits.  I  sincerely  hope  I  may 
never  be  besieged  with  such  a  garrison  another  time. 
A  slave  came  in,  and  reports  "  that  Berber  has  been 
taken  by  the  troops  from  Kassala,  and  that  the 
Arab  Governor  of  Berber  arrived  at  the  Mahdi's  two 
days  ago  (perhaps  the  caravan  we  saw  yesterday)  ; 
also  that  "  the  four  steamers  have  gone  to  Berber, 
one  being  disahled,  or  aground,  or  sunk  !  "  If  this 
is  the  case,  it  is  that  brute  Nutzer  Bey  or  Pasha  who 
(keeping  himself  well  under  cover)  has  disobeyed 
my  repeated  orders  as  to  "  not  taking  the  steamers 
against  the  guns,  but  to  stay  quietly  at  Shendy  and 
wait  for  the  Expedition."  The  last  order  that  I 
sent  him  was  that  "  I  would  cancel  his  appointment 
as  Pasha  if  he  dared  to  disobey  me  again."  But  of 
what  avail  is  that  ? 

'November  22.  —  Slight  firing  at  Bourr^  and  Goba 
this  morning.  A  soldier  deserted  to  the  Arabs  last 
night,  with  his  rifle. 

A  soldier  and  a  slave  came  in  from  the  Arabs.  It 
appears  more  Shaggyeh  deserted  to  the  Arabs  than 
the  four  I  mentioned,  but  it  seems  perfectly  impos- 
sible to  find  out  the  truth,  or  even  the  number  of 
Shaggyeh  there  are. 

I  am  terribly  anxious  for  the  fort  at  Omdurman, 
and  am  trying  to  devise  some  means  of  occupying 


324 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


the  Arabs,  and  diverting  their  attention  elsewhere. 
Omdurman  Fort  signals  they  are  all  right ;  they  had 
another  man  wounded.  Up  to  date  we  have  had, 
passing  through  the  hospital,  242  wounded.  We 
have  had  some  1800  to  1900  killed  (between  17th 
March  and  22ud  November). 

This   is   the  present  state  of   affairs ;   the  Arab 
camps  are  about  five  miles  from  the  city. 


Camp  C  is  on  river. 

A  is  one  mile  from  river  ;  camps  D  and  E  are 
three  to  four  miles  from  the  river.  Of  these  num- 
bers perhaps  there  are  3000  to  4000  fighting  men, 
and  600  horsemen  to  800  horsemen  in  the  whole 
lot.     There  is  nothing  like  being  precise  in  these 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  325 

days,  and  it  saves  a  deal  of  talking  if  one  knows  a 
man's  ideas  beforehand.  If  the  Expedition  comes 
here  before  the  place  falls  (which  is  doubtful),  and 
if  the  instructions  are  to  evacuate  the  place  at  once, 
and  leave  Kassala  and  Sennaar,  ^c,  I  will  resign, 
and  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  Government 
of  the  place,  or  of  the  Soudan  ;  and  this  I  have  a 
perfect  right  to  do,  and  no  one,  not  even  the  Soudan 
troops  or  people,  covdd  say  one  word.  It  will  de- 
pend on  circumstances  how  I  shall  act  in  re  my  com- 
mission in  Her  Majesty's  Service  (which  I  do  not 
hold  too  fast  to,  seeing  any  future  employment  would 
not  be  accepted,  even  if  in  the  very  improbable  case 
of  its  being  offered)  ;  but  I  consider  that  every  of- 
ficer has  a  right  to  resign,  and  if  he  resigns  he  is  no 
longer  subject  to  military  orders,  and  is  free  to  go 
when  and  where  he  likes.  It  may  be  argued  I  was 
named  Governor-General  "  in  order  to  carry  out  the 
evacuation  of  the  Soudan,  and  that  I  am  bound  to 
carry  that  out,  which  is  quite  correct,  but  I  was  named 
for  EVACUATION  OF  SoUDAN "  (against  which  I 
have  nothing  to  say),  not  to  run  away  from  Kar- 
toum  and  leave  the  garrisons  elseiohere  to  their  fate  S''^ 
If  it  is  positively  determined  on  not  to  looTc  after  the 
garrisons,  and  not  to  establish  some  sort  of  provi- 
sional Government  in  the  Soudan,  then  the  course 
to  pursue  is  to  name  a  Governor  in  my  place  on  day 

68  Sir  E.  Baring,  in  writing  to  General  Gordon  on  the  instructions  of 
H.  M.  Government  conveyed  to  him,  saj's,  "You  will  bear  in  mind  the 
main  end  to  be  pursued  is  the  evacuation  of  the  Soudan.''''  —  Enclosure, 
in  Egypt  No.  6.  Sir  E.  Baring  does  not  say,  "  the  evacuation  of  Kar- 
toum  and  the  abandonment  of  all  the  other  garrisons  in  the  Soudan." 
—  Ed. 


326  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

of  arnval,  and  carry  out  with  that  Governor  that 
policy  which,  I  have  already  said,  is  one  of  very  great 
danger  (putting  all  the  other  considerations  aside). 
Personally,  looking  at  the  matter  from  a  very 
SELFISH  POINT  OF  VIEW  (and  seeing  I  have  done 
my  best  to  prevent  this  policy  being  followed,  and 
am  impatient  to  oppose  it),  I  should  be  much  re- 
lieved at  this  denouejnent,  for  I  should  be  in  Brus- 
sels on  20th  January. 

I  have  given  6000  lbs.  of  biscuit  out  to  the  poor 
(I  expect  half  will  be  stolen),  and  I  shaU  sell  to- 
morrow 90,000  lbs.  to  the  townspeople.  I  am  deter- 
mined if  the  town  does  fall,  the  Mahdi  shall  find 
precious  little  to  eat  in  it.  Two  soldiers  got  hold  of 
the  head  of  a  shell-rocket  fired  by  Arabs,  and,  hav- 
ing nothing  better  to  do,  they  set  to  work  to  open  it. 
It  burst,  and  has  nearly  killed  one,  and  wounded  the 
other  —  the  effects  of  curiosity  ! 

Novemher  23.  —  A  soldier  came  in  at  the  North 
Fort  from  the  Arabs ;  he  says  the  Expedition  has 
captured  Berber,  and  are  advancing  on  this,  and  the 
Arabs  want  to  attack  Tuti  Isle. 

The  Arabs,  this  morning,  fired  from  Goba  on 
breastwork  of  Tuti.  The  soldier  says  my  noble 
friend,  Nutzer  Pasha,  kept  safely  all  the  steamers 
at  Shendy,  and  never  aided  in  any  way  at  Berber. 
The  Arabs  are  (so  says  this  soldier)  collecting  at 
Halfeyeh  to  receive  the  Expedition,  but  I  do  not 
think  it. 

Three  women  came  in  last  night  from  the  Arabs 
to  North  Fort ;  they  had  been  captured  during  the 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  327 

raid  the  Arabs  made  on  the  Shaggyeh  some  days 
ago. 

The  soldier  who  came  in  brought  two  rifles  and 
two  belts  of  ammunition. 

Ferratch  Ullah  Bey,  of  Omdurman  Fort,  reports 
"  he  is  all  right,"  by  signal. 

A  report  has  come  in  that  the  Expedition  had 
arrived  at  Metemma,  and  had  encountered  the 
Arabs  twice  ;  that  a  steamer  had  been  sent  up  to 
inform  me,  but  the  Arab  guns  had  forced  her  to 
return ;  they  say  that  this  report  has  come  into  the 
town  by  men  who  have  friends  in  the  Mahdi's  camp, 
and  who  had  seen  some  of  the  Arabs  wounded. 
This  news  is  five  days  old.  Very  few  Arabs  in  the 
camp  on  the  north  of  the  Palace.  The  Shaggyeh 
came  and  asked  me  to  let  them  go  up  and  pillage 
the  Arab  camp  as  there  were  so  few  in  it ;  they 
knew  well  that  I  knew  if  I  did  give  them  leave  they 
would  not  go,  so  it  was  a  safe  volunteer  on  their 
part.  A  caravan  of  Arabs  came  from  the  north  to 
the  Arab  camp  this  morning.  The  Arabs  have  only 
one  gun  on  the  Omdurman  side  now ;  I  expect  the 
rest  are  taken  down  against  the  Expedition.  We 
have  only  541  rounds  of  Krupp  ammunition  left  for 
our  two  Kjupps.  I  went  to  Mogrim,  and  practised 
on  the  Arab  House  where  their  gun  is,  1600  yards 
range  ;  we  put  three  shells  into  it,  upon  which  the 
Arabs  left.  I  am  still  apprehensive  of  an  attack  on 
Omdurman  Fort,  and  have  the  Ismailia  steamer 
ready.  I  have  sent  down  thirty  rockets  (sky)  to 
Mogrim  to  be  fired  off  ;  this  will  bother  the  Arabs, 
who  will  not  know  what  to  make  of  it,   and  will 


328  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

think  we  have  got  some  very  important  neios.  I 
know  if  this  happened  when  /  was  meditating  an 
assault,  I  should  hesitate  before  I  made  that  assault 
after  the  fireworks. 

November  24,  6  a.  m.  —  Arabs  came  down  and 
fired  on  the  Isle  of  Tuti  from  Goba.  Ferratch  Ul- 
lah  Bey  of  Omdurman  reports  all  well ;  another  man 
had  been  wounded,  and  one  had  died.  A  slave  came 
in  from  the  Arabs  on  the  South  Front,  who  says 
there  is  no  news  of  the  Expedition  in  Waled  a 
Goun's  camp.  12.15  p.  m.  The  Arabs  near  Om- 
durman Fort  are  retiring  from  their  position  near 
the  small  steamer,  and  are  burning  the  straw  huts  ; 
our  men  are  firing  on  them,  and  they  do  not  reply  ; 
the  Husseinyeh  steamer  has  slipped  down  towards 
deeper  water,  of  herself.  I  am  sending  down  the 
Ismailia  to  reconnoitre.  The  Arabs  have  not  fired 
from  their  gun  at  Omdurman  to-day.  It  appears 
the  Husseinyeh  has  sunk,  so  that  may  be  the  reason 
of  the  Arabs  retiring.  I  expect  the  Mahdi  wanted 
his  troops,  who  were  guarding  the  steamer  Hussein- 
yeh, and  so  he  sent  off  men  last  night  to  sink  her, 
and  that  is  the  history  of  the  retreat.  It  is  some- 
what of  a  relief  to  me,  for  I  expect  it  shows  the 
Arabs  will  not  make  an  assault  on  Omdurman  Fort. 
Perhaps  our  fireworks  last  night  all  along  the  lines 
made  the  Mahdi  think  I  had  some  great  news,  which 
he  did  not  know  of  ;  we  fired  from  five  places  fifteen 
sky-rockets  at  one  concerted  moment.  They  report 
from  Mogrim  that  the  Arabs  retreated  before  the 
Husseinyeh  sank,  but  I  expect  that  is  a  fib,  and  that 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  329 

they  did  not  leave  till  she  sank  ;  it  is  against  all 
reason  with  a  falling  river,  and,  fixed  on  a  level  as 
she  was,  she  sank  untouched.  The  fact  is,  I  expect, 
that  the  man  put  to  watch  her  was  asleep,  and  the 
Arabs,  trying  to  capture  her,  drew  her  into  deep 
water,  when  the  water  got  into  her  shot-hole.  1.30 
p.  M.  The  Ismailia  went  down  to  the  junction  of 
the  Blue  and  White  Niles,  and  the  Arab  guns 
opened  on  her,  so  she  has  come  back.  I  have  sent 
down  to  make  inquiries  on  the  quiet,  whether  the 
Arabs  returned  befoke  or  after  the  sinking  of  the 
Husseinyeh.  The  Arabs  fired  five  rounds  at  the 
Ismailia.  The  Arabs  came  back  to  their  breast- 
work when  the  Ismailia  appeared,  but  on  her  return 
they  also  went  back.  If  the  Husseinyeh  had  not  had 
a  shot-hole  in  her,  the  Arabs  would  have  captured 
her ;  but,  as  I  had  taken  her  steam-cocks  off,  they 
could  not  use  her.  We  may  be  able  to  raise  her  if 
she  has  sunk  evenly.  The  steamer  has  sunk  evenly, 
for  her  funnel  is  above  water. 

I  expect  the  Arabs  put  a  slave-boy  to  turn  the 
handle  of  the  Nordenfeldt,  for  it  keeps  on  grunting 
all  day  at  intervals  of  half  seconds,  but  does  no 
harm. 

November  25.  —  Arabs  came  to  Goba  this  morn- 
ing and  fired  on  the  Isle  of  Tuti  for  half  an  hour. 
It  is  quite  true  the  Arabs  did  work  at  the  Hussein- 
yeh and  caused  her  to  sink,  and  on  her  sinking  they 
retired  ;  the  sentries  in  our  lines  being  all  asleep,  as 
I  had  supposed.  Ferratch  UUah  Bey  of  Omdurman 
Fort  reports  all  well ;  he  has  another  death  among 


330  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

his  wounded.  I  have  promised  him  three  days'  pay 
for  every  day  he  and  his  men  are  shut  up.  1.15  P.  M. 
Steamers  in  sight ;  the  Doctor  saw  them  first.  The 
steamers  are  firing ;  only  one  steamer  in  sight. 

The  Arabs  had  three  guns  at  Halfeyeh  against  the 
coming-in  steamer.  2,30  P.  M.  I  have  sent  down  the 
Ismailia  to  cover  the  incoming  steamer.  The  Arabs 
are  grunting  with  their  Nordenf eldt,  and  firing  from 
their  gun.  Mogrim  is  playing  on  them  with  the 
Krupp,  and  Tuti  with  their  mountain  gun.  2.45  P.  M. 
For  the  last  half  hour  the  firing  on  the  part  of  Arabs 
on  the  advancing  steamer  has  been  most  furious  with 
guns  and  musketry ;  we  replying.  I  am  grateful  to 
say  that,  after  this  hot  reception,  she  has  got  in  safe 
to  Mogrim. 

If  any  of6cer  of  the  Expedition  is  on  board,  he 
will  know  what  it  is  to  be  in  a  penny  boat !  under 
cannon  fire.  The  Borcleen  has  come  in;  she  has 
seven  wounded.  There  are  no  Arabs  at  Shoboloha, 
or  (consequently)  guns  ;  the  wounded  were  from  two 
shells  fired  by  the  Arabs  from  Halfeyeh.  The  Expe- 
ditionary Force  is  at  Ambukol  (which  is  lively  !)  ;^^ 
the  Arabs  had  four  gims  at  Halfeyeh  ;  one  woman 
was  killed  in  the  Borcleen :  the  letters  received  by 
the  Borcleen  are  of  no  great  import,  for  they  do  not 
tell  me  the  route  the  Expedition  will  take,  and  I 
have  received  a  later  post  —  that  of  14th  October. 

Two  men  were  wounded  at  Mogrun  to-day.  Ac- 
cording to  the  report  of  the  two  men  who  came 
from  Dongola,  it  is  not  certain  that  the  Abbas  is  cap- 
tured. 

59  That  is  to  saj',  the  Expeditionary  Force  was  185  miles  further  from 
Kartoum  than  General  Gordon  expected  it  to  be.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  331 

I  enclose  a  telegram,^''  which  we  cannot  decipher. 
I  imagine  Colonel  Stewart  has  the  key,  it  being 
probably  Foreign  Office  cipher. 

Towfik,  by  a  telegram,  cancels  his  firman,  which 
gives  up  the  Soudan,^i  which  I  have  torn  up,  but 
enclose  ;  (this  telegram  ^^  I  received  to-day). 

A  telegram  to  the  Ulemas  from  Towfik  says : 
"  Baring  "  is  coming  up  with  Lord  Wolseley. 

November  26.  —  One  man  came  to  Goba  and  fired 
two  shots  and  retired.  The  Arabs  fired  three  rounds 
at  Fort  Omdurman.  The  fort  reports  all  right. 
Nutzi  Pasha  reports  that  the  money  at  Berber  has 
been  taken  up  to  the  Mahdi.  He  sends  up  four 
wounded.  He  says  the  Expedition  is  advancing  in 
three  parties  —  one  to  Berber  from  Ambukol,  one 
from  Ambukol  to  Metemma,  and  one  from  Ambukol 
to  Shoboloha.  This  letter  was  written  six  days  ago. 
A  caravan  came  across  from  the  north  to  the  Mahdi's 
camp  to-day.  The  Arabs  at  Metemma  have  crossed 
to  Shendy  and  gone  into  the  interior.  Foul"  fel- 
laheen soldiers  deserted  from  Nutzi  Pasha  and  went 
to  the  Arabs  —  I  expect  through  his  ill-treatment  of 
them. 

There  are  three  long  telegrams  in  cipher,  which  I 
cannot  make  out,  pasted  on  the  other  side.^^ 

I  had  a  letter  saying  Government  had  given 
Kitchener  carte   hlanche  to  pay  the  Mahdi  up  to 

60  General  Gordon  marks  on  back  of  this  telegram,  which  is  one  of 
three,  "  Telegraph  of  which  Colonel  Stewart  has  the  key." 

61  Appendix  Y. 

62  The  one  alluded  to  in  former  paragraph. 

63  See  above. 


332  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

.£20,000  for  me;  but  adds,  the  "writer  does  not 
think  I  would  accejDt  such  a  proposition  ;  "  in  which 
he  is  quite  right ;  neither  would  the  Mahdi. 

I  like  Baker's  description  of  Kitchener. 

"  The  man  whom  I  have  always  placed  my  hopes 
upon,  Major  Kitchener,  E.  E.,  who  is  one  of  the  few 
very  superior  British  officers,  with  a  cool  and  good 
head  and  a  hard  constituti£)n,  combined  with  untir- 
ing energy,  has  now  pushed  up  to  Dongola,  and  has 
proved  that  the  Mudir  is  dependable.  The  latter 
has  given  him  a  letter  received  from  you  asking 
about  reinforcements,  and  stating  that  you  have 
8000  troops  at  Kartoum,  and  that  Sennaar  is  still 
occupied  by  the  Government  forces."  ^"* 

There  was  a  slight  laugh  when  Kartoum  heard 
Baring  was  bumping  ^^  his  way  up  hei'e,  for  so  we 
read  Towfik's  telegram  —  a  regular  Nemesis. 

I  am  sure  we  are  deprived  of  a  treat  in  not  being 
able  to  decipher  the  long  telegrams  on  the  preceding 
page.  It  also  is  delicious  to  find  not  one  civil  word 
from  any  official  personage  except  Kitchener  ;  it  re- 
lieves me  immensely  (also  I  must  except  Towfik, 
who  in  his  despatch  was  civil  and  polite).  Evidently 
I  am  in  disgrace  !    How  fearful ! 

According  to  the  man  who  came  yesterday  the 
Ahbas  struck  a  rock,  and  the  two  boats  surrendered 
to  the  Arabs.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  the  Arabs 
have  captured  the  steamer  Ahbas,  for  the  Arab 
chief  of  Berber  sent  to  Cassim  el  Mousse  an  impres- 

64  This  account  of  Major  Eatchener  is  in  a  letter  from  General  Baker. 
General  Gordon  has  cut  out  the  portion  of  the  original  letter,  and  has 
pasted  it  in  the  body  of  his  Journal.  —  Ed. 

65  /.  e.  coming  up  on  a  camel.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  333 

slon  of  the  seal  I  used  when  I  was  up  here  before, 
and  which  I  sent  down  by  Stewart.  Now,  it  is  im- 
possible he  could  have  known  this  unless  he  had 
possession  of  the  seal,  for  I  do  not  think  Stewart 
knew  it.  The  Arabs  at  Omdurraan  have  the  slave 
boy  grinding  away  at  their  Nordenfeldt.  I  have 
sent  one  of  our  French  mitrailleuses  down  to  grind 
on  them.  If  Baring  does  bumj)  his  way  up  here  as 
British  Commissioner,  I  shall  consider  he  has  expi- 
ated his  faults  and  shall  forgive  him.  We  seldom 
realise  our  position.  In  ten  or  twelve  years'  time 
Baring,  Lord  Wolseley,  myself,  Evelyn  Wood,  &c., 
will  have  no  teeth,  and  will  be  deaf;  some  of  us 
will  be  quite  passe  ;  no  one  will  come  and  court  us  ; 
new  Barings,  new  Lord  Wolseleys  will  have  arisen, 
who  will  call  us  "  bloaks  "  and  "  twaddlers."  "  Oh ! 
for  goodness'  sake  come  away,  then !  Is  that  dread- 
ful bore  coming?  If  once  he  gets  alongside  you, 
you  are  in  for  half  an  hour,"  will  be  the  remark  of 
some  young  captain  of  the  present  time  on  seeing 
you  enter  the  Club.  This  is  very  humiliating,  for 
we,  each  one,  think  we  are  immortal.  That  jDoor 
old   General  .  .  .  who  for  years  vegetated  at  the 

end  of street  close  to  Clubs !  who  ever  visited 

him  ?  Better  a  ball  in  the  brain  than  to  flicker  out 
unheeded,  like  he  did. 

November  26.  —  The  ex-Khedive  will  chuckle  over 
Baring's  ride  to  the  Soudan.  I  can  fancy  him 
twinkling  his  little  eyes  over  it.  He  came  up  in  his 
youth  to  Dongola  with  his  uncle  Ismail  Pasha,  a 
slim  youth ;  Halim  (the  rightful  heir  to  the  Khedi- 


334  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

viat  after  Ismail)  also  was  here  as  Governor-General 
for  three  weeks,  but  he  bolted  back,  without  leave, 
from  Said  Pasha,  who  was  then  Viceroy.  If  Ismail, 
ex-Khedive,  could  only  get  Malet,  Vivian,  and  Col- 
vin  to  go  this  ride,  I  think  he  would  forgive  his 
deposition.  I  have  published  the  telegram  of  Towfik 
to  me,  and  to  the  Notables  (note  that  in  this  tele- 
gram, Towfik  —  a  year  late,  it  is  true  —  says  he  is 
sorry  for  Hicks'  army  destruction !),  saying  he  will 
retain  the  Soudan.  Whoever  comes  up  here  had 
better  appoint  Major  Kitchener  Governor-General, 
for  it  is  certain,  after  what  has  passed,  I  am  impos- 
sible.    (What  a  comfort !) 

November  27.  —  The  Arabs  fired  with  artillery 
and  musketry  on  Bourr^  for  about  an  hour  this 
morning.  They  fired  three  shells  at  Omdurman 
Fort,  who  signals  it  is  all  right. 

Two  slaves  came  in  to-day;  they  say  the  Arabs 
are  wanting  in  ammunition.  I  do  not  wonder  at  it, 
at  the  way  they  fire  it  away ;  they  say  the  Mahdi 
has  had  a  revelation  that  the  Turks  will  keep  the 
country  for  eight  years ;  that  he  is  to  go  back  and 
come  again  at  the  end  of  the  eight  years.^^  The 
little  captured  steamer  Mahomet  All  came  down 
near  Giraffe  last  night,  and  then  went  back. 

If  Kitchener  would  take  the  place,  he  would  be 
the  best  man  to  put  in  as  Governor-General,  but  I 
must  confess  I  think,  loith  our  Government  constir 

66  There  is  some  significance  in  this.  The  Mahdi  in  all  probability 
knew  General  Gordon  had  recommended  Turkish  troops  being  dis- 
patched to  the  Soudan,  and  felt  he  could  not  hold  the  country  against 
them  if  they  came.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  335 

tuted  as  it  is,  that  foi*  Her  Majesty's  Government 
to  take  the  charge  of  these  countries  would  be  a  very 
serious  burden,  and  that  the  only  solution  would  be 
the  Sultan  taking  them  over,  with  a  subsidy  and  the 
ports  of  Suakin  and  Massowah.  Judging  from 
Towfik's  telegram  to  me,  it  woidd  seem  that  the 
Hewitt  Treaty  has  fallen  through,  for  he  speaks  of 
the  retention  of  Kassala, 

Our  Government  has  two  courses  to  pursue :  one 
to  appoint  Kitchener  or  some  other  Governor-Gen- 
eral, and  to  be  prepared  to  give  him  X500,000  a 
year  for  two  years,  for  he  will  never  get  any  taxes 
worth  speaking  of  ;  for  two  years,  also,  our  Govern- 
ment must  be  prepared  to  renew  the  stores,  war 
material,  &c.,  and  give  6000  extra  soldiers  to  the 
Soudan.  Second,  to  give  the  country  over  to  the 
Sultan  with  two  millions  and  the  ports. 

To  me  the  last  is  the  best  and  speediest  course  to 
pursue ;  it  rids  Her  Majesty's  Government  for  ever 
of  any  responsibility.  If  the  first  course  was  taken, 
to  my  mind,  a  sine  qud  non  for  its  success  would  be, 
to  make  up  with  France  in  I'e  Egypt. 

There  is  one  other  course,  an  intermediate  one, 
viz.,  Zubair,  with  .£100,000  a  year,  and  replenished 
magazines. 

About  forty  females  congregated  under  my  win- 
dow, yelling  for  food.  It  delights  me  to  think  of 
the  treat  Baring  will  have  when  he  gets  here  (if 
ever  he  does).  I  do  not  think  there  are  500  Arabs 
in  the  camp  on  north  side,  and  no  horsemen,  though 
their  straw  huts  extend  further  than  they  did  in  the 
first  blockade.     The  Zubair  steamer  was  launched 


336  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

to-day.  With  respect  to  the  force  of  Arabs  on 
north  side  it  may  be  said,  "if  so  few,  why  not  at- 
tack them  ;  "  but  supposing  I  was  wrong,  and  they 
were  more  than  I  think,  a  defeat  woukl  cause  the 
fall  of  the  town,  therefore  I  will  not  risk  it. 

The  Ulemas  and  Notables  got  a  telegram  from 
Towfik  excusing  himself  for  his  indolence.  They 
came  to-day  and  wished  to  send  an  answer,  which  I 
agreed  to.  They  did  this  of  their  free  will,  and 
NOT  PEOMPTED  MUCH  BY  ME.  It  will  make  Towfik 
hop.  Of  the  Ulemas  who  came,  two  (the  Sheikh 
el  Islam  and  the  Cadi)  had  been  imprisoned  by 
me.6' 

Novemher  28.  —  Fort  Omdurman  all  right.  An- 
other of  the  wounded  has  died.  Two  soldiers  came 
in  from  the  Arabs.  Small  church  parades,  that  on 
the  Blue  Nile  rather  larger  than  usual.  We  have 
to-day  in  store  174,400  okes  of  biscuit  and  1165 
ardebs  of  dhoora,  which  is  not  bad  after  261  days' 
blockade.  A  slave  has  come  in  at  the  North  Fort, 
and  says  the  Arabs  are  expecting  four  steamers  to 
come  up.  I  hope  that  the  officer  in  command  will 
clear  Halfeyeh  before  he  pushes  on  to  this,  for  he 
may  get  a  shell  from  the  Arabs  at  Omdurman  into 
one  of  his  steamers.  I  do  not  like  to  risk  the  Bor- 
deen  down  by  herself  to  give  this  warning.  If  the 
steamers  do  come  up,  and  have  not  the  sense  to  stop 
at  Halfeyeh,  I  shall  endeavour  to  warn  them  by  a 
tremendous  fire  on  the  Arabs  at  Omdurman.     The 

67  They  were  two  of  the  sixteen  General  Gordon  imprisoned  for  con- 
spiring with  the  Mahdi.  — Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 


337 


danger  is  at  the  Ras,  or  nose  (x), 
on  the  junction  of  the  rivers.  We 
are  protecting  the  Bordeen  by  cas- 
ing her  steam-chest  with  wood.  The 
proper  thing  to  do  would  be  to  clear 
the  Halfeyeh  camp  of  the  Arabs 
before  coming  on  here.  You  could 
then  communicate  with  Kartoum  by  land,  and  avoid 
having  to  run  in  penny  steamboats  the  gauntlet  of 
Arab  guns. 

A  woman  came  in  from  the  Arabs.  She  says  yes- 
terday morning  a  man  came  to  the  Arab  camp  on 
the  north  side  who  said  that  the  Expedition  had  cap- 
tured Berber,  and  that  four  steamers  were  on  their 
way  here ;  that  the  Arabs  sent  out  men  to  see  if  this 
was  true,  and  that  it  is  my  own  soldiers  who  are  now 
fighting  against  us. 

If  the  news  that  Berber  is  captured  is  true,  the 
steamers  will  be  towing  up  boats  (fifty  of  which  are 
at  Berber)  and  will  not  be  here  for  some  days.  2 
p.  M.  I  think  the  Arabs  are  making  an  embrasure  at 
Goba,  with  the  view  of  bombarding  the  Palace.  I 
can  see  this  with  my  glass. 
If  they  do  this,  it  will  not 
hurt  us,  and  it  will  take  their 
men  and  guns  from  off  the  river,  where  their  gun-fire 
is  alone  dangerous  to  the  steamers.  It  is  rather 
amusing  to  see  the  personality  ^^  of  this  Arab  bat- 
tery. The  range  is  2200  yards  from  here,  but  as 
we  never  hit  anything  we  fire  at  at  that  distance,  I 


68  /.  e.  the  way  in  which  this  battery  was  directed  towards  that  part 
of  the  Palace  which  the  Arabs  knew  General  Gordon  inhabited.  —  Ed. 
22 


338  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

think  I  shall  be  safe  in  the  Palace  from  the  Arab 
fire.  The  mountain  shell  mtII  not  penetrate  the  walls 
at  that  distance,  as  we  know  from  a  shell  which 
struck  the  North  Fort  some  time  ago.  I  expect  they 
will  begin  to-morrov/  morning  at  daybreak.  1  have 
fired  eight  or  ten  rounds  at  them  ;  which  brought 
them  out  to  look,  but  it  is  quite  a  chance  if  the 
Remington  reaches  them  at  that  range.  There  was 
a  time  when  one  would  have  been  anxious  for  the 
Palace,  but  that  has  gone  by.  It  will  not  be  the 
first  time  I  have  been  fired  on  by  my  own  soldiers  ; 
for  in  China  two  men  of  the  31st  Regiment  were 
on  the  breach  of  Taitsan  and  one  was  killed.  The 
other,  with  a  shell  splinter,  was  taken  prisoner.  "  Mr. 
Gordon !  Mr.  Gordon,  you  will  not  let  me  be  killed." 
"  Take  him  down  to  the  river  and  shoot  him ;  "  and 
ffMide,  "  Put  him  in  my  boat :  let  the  doctor  attend 
him,  and  send  him  to  Shanghai."  He  was  sent 
down  to  Shanghai,  and  got  three  or  six  months"  im- 
prisonment by  court-martial  for  deserting,  and  I 
dare  say  he  exists  at  present.  His  name  was  Har- 
greaves.     I  do  not  know  his  regimental  number. 

Baring  to  Egerton :  "  Metemma !  at  last,  after 
the  most  fearful  sufferings,  evei'y  bone  in  my  body 
dislocated  from  those  beastly  camels.  Pound  here 
his  Journal,  from  which  it  appears  that  that  duffer, 
the  Mahdi,  has  at  last  roused  himself,  but  I  fear 
it  is  too  late.  As  to  the  tone  of  the  Journal,  it  is 
simply  dejjlorable,  and  (do  not  mention  it,  please)  he 
has  actually  made  a  sketch  (brace  yourself  up  to 
bear  it)  of  our  high  priest.  Excuse  more,  for  what 
with  the  bumping  of  the  camel  and  the  depravity 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  339 

shown  by  this  scoffer,  I  am  more  dead  than  alive." 
A  Bashi  Bazouk  (no  loss),  a  bugler,  and  two  musi- 
cians (of  our  terrible  band)  deserted  to  Arabs  yester- 
day ;  as  .  .  .  says,  it  is  "  incorrigible."  This  is  owing 
to  the  robbery  of  the  rations  by  the  officers. 

JVovember  29.  —  Omdurman  Fort  all  right,  but 
three  men  deserted  to  the  Arabs.  Truly  this  life  is 
almost  insupportable  :  the  officers  have  been  robbing 
the  men  of  their  rations,  and  the  storekeeper  has 
been  giving  them  short  weight.  One  feels  utterly 
powerless  to  contend  with  these  affairs,  and  unless 
the  Expedition  comes  soon  the  place  will  fall  from 
the  venality  of  these  people.^^  They  know  I  cannot 
possibly  find  out  their  misdeeds,  and  chuckle  over 
it.  The  Arabs  are  working  away  at  their  battery  at 
Goba. 

It  is  odd  that  among  the  despised  Egyptian  fel- 
laheen soldiers  this  robbery  of  rations  does  not  take 
place.  It  is  only  among  the  officers,  &c.,  of  the 
black  troops.  1  P.  M.  I  hear  that  the  soldiers  way- 
lay the  women,  to  whom  I  have  given  biscuit,  and 
rob  them ! 

I  have  a  strong  conviction  that  neither  Baring  nor 
Lord  W.  have  taken  the  precaution  of  bringing  a 
firman  from  Towfik  Pasha,  giving  them  a  legal  status 
superior  to  mine  in  the  Soudan.  If  this  conviction 
is  the  case  (and  the  fiction  of  Towfik  being  supreme 
ruler  is  kept  up),  then  it  is  for  me  to  name  the 

69  That  is  to  say,  either  those  who  are  being  robbed  and  cheated  will 
in  their  own  interest  be  forced  to  give  up  the  town  to  the  enenij',  or  the 
robbers  and  cheats  will  be  bought  over  by  the  Mahdi.  —  Ed. 


340  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Governor-General,  and  I  feel  strongly  disposed  to 
print  off  proclamations  to  be  issued  on  arrival  of 
Expedition  (if  ever  it  does  arrive),  by  which  I  relin- 
quish the  government  in  favour  of  the  officer  com- 
manding the  Expedition.  Of  course,  if  a  firman  is 
brought,  then  the  situation  is  different ;  but  if  not 
brought,  and  the  fiction  is  going  to  he  kept  up,  I 
have  a  perfect  right  to  vacate  the  government,  and 
to  appoint  whomsoever  I  like,  subject  to  the  ulti- 
mate approval  of  Towfik  Pasha.  It  may  be  that 
the  officer  commanding  the  Expedition  may  demur 
to  his  appointment,  but  his  doing  so  will  not  absolve 
him  of  the  responsibility  thus  officially  placed  on 
him  if  the  town  falls. 

The  great  question,  "  Is  any  officer,  civil  or  mili- 
tary, of  the  Expedition  possessed  of  a  firman  of 
Towfik?"  If  not,  there  is  not  the  least  doubt  that 
the  dejure  power  is  with  me  to  name  whom  I  like 
(except  in  the  case  of  a  civil  or  military  officer  an- 
nouncing to  the  people  that  the  British  Government 
has  annexed  Egypt).  There  can  be  no  question  of 
military  discipline  in  this,  for  what  has  a  foreign 
Power  to  do  with  the  civil  functionaries  of  Towfik, 
unless  they  usurp  his  (Towfik's)  functions  ? 

Two  more  soldiers  deserted  to-day.  8  p.  m.  The 
Arabs  came  down  to  the  ruins  of  village  ojiposite, 
and  fired  on  the  Palace.  I  sent  the  buglers  up  to 
the  roof  of  the  Palace,  who  by  their  own  accounts 
killed  thousands,  and  the  Arabs  retired.  I  have 
got  so  accustomed  to  the  sound  of  the  firing,  that  I 
can  tell  when  the  report  of  firing  is  from  Arahs  on 
Tuti  or  Palace,  or  our  men  from  Tuti  or  North 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  841 

Fort.  Also  if  it  is  the  Arabs  firing  on  Mogrim 
or  Bourre,  or  our  men  firing  on  them,  from  these 
places.  According  to  the  directions  of  the  muzzles  of 
the  rifles,  so  are  the  sounds.  I  think  I  would  like 
to  be  in  a  real  siege,  with  no  civil  population  or  rob- 
bers of  officers  to  bully  me.  To-night  a  sortie  with 
fifty  men  would  give  the  Arabs  a  dose  which  they 
would  not  forget ;  but  it  is  no  use,  we  are  not  up  to 
it.  The  buglers  say  they  killed  thirty  (!  !  !)  be- 
tween them. 

November  30.  —  Fort  Omdurman  all  right.  A 
slave  came  from  the  Arabs  to  it  last  night.  Arabs 
(10.30  A.  M.)  have  fired  two  rounds  from  their 
("  personality  ")  ™  battery  at  Goba,  but  the  projec- 
tiles did  not  reach  the  Palace. 

I  hear  that  one  of  the  shells  fired  by  Arabs  did 
reach  the  town,  and  fell  behind  the  Palace.  They 
have  fired  three  rounds  more,  and  then  the  house  in 
which  they  had  their  gun  fell  down.  They  are  now 
digging  away  to  get  out  the  gun.  I  expect  the  gun- 
carriage  requires  repair,  for  the  house  was  a  good 
height.  11.15  A.  M.  Arabs  either  had  another  gun 
besides  that  in  the  house  which  fell  down,  or  that 
gun  was  not  damaged  in  the  fall  of  the  house,  for 
they  have  just  fired  another  round  at  the  North 
Fort.  Noon.  The  Arabs  fired  three  more  rounds 
at  the  North  Fort.  The  shells  burst  in  the  air,  and 
the  Arabs  have  now  gone  to  dinner.  Another  man 
deserted  to  the  Arabs ;  he  had  previously  deserted 

™  "  It  is  rather  amusing  to  sec  ih^i  personality  of  this  Arab  battery:  " 
p.  337. —Ed. 


342  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

from  the  Arabs  to  us.  Two  of  the  band  reported  to 
have  deserted  to  the  Arabs  have  been  found  in  the 
town.  The  Arabs  at  Goba  (whom  I  do  not  think 
number  more  than  40  !  !  !)  fired  three  more  rounds 
from  their  gun  this  evening.  I  feel  strongly  dis- 
posed to  go  over  myself  with  100  men  (against 
40 !)  and  attack  them  to-morrow.  It  is  simply- 
ridiculous  the  apathy  that  is  shown.  These  forty 
men,  which  is  the  outside  of  their  number,  are  at 
least  four  miles  from  any  assistance.  The  place  is 
so  flat  and  bare  that  this  is  a  certainty. 

Decernher  1.  —  During  the  night  the  Arabs  fired 
on  town  with  their  guns.  At  daybreak  they  fired 
from  their  guns  on  the  Palace  and  the  North  Fort, 
and  on  Mogrim  and  Bourr^.  A  caravan  of  seven- 
teen camels  came  to  the  Mahdi  from  Dongola  to-day. 
The  "  Nordenfeldt "  (Omdurman)  has  been  silent 
for  last  three  days.  Omdurman  Fort  all  right. 
10.40  A.  M.  Arabs  just  fired  one  shot,  which  struck 
water  in  front  of  the  Palace ;  they  fired  another 
which  burst  in  the  air. 

11  A.  M.  I  have  sent  down  the  Bordeen  to  entice 
the  Arabs  to  waste  their  ammunition,  which  they  are 
doing. 

Towfik's  telegram  to  me  was  to-day  more  fully 
explained,  and  I  gather  that  he  says  Lord  Wolseley 
and  Sir  E.  Baring  are  coming  up,  and  that  they  will 
settle  the  question  of  the  Soudan.  I  have  replied, 
that  it  may  be  convenient  for  him  (Towfik),  but  it 
does  not  meet  the  case,  unless  these  two  officials 
have   a   firman   from   him,  giving  them   authority. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  343 

Now  this  the  two  officials  will  never  have,  for  it 
virtually  would  make  them  Toiojik's  suhordinates. 
It  is  implied  in  the  telegram  that  I  am  to  arrange 
with  these  two  officials  as  to  the  Soudan.  A  delight- 
ful arrangement  for  Towfik,  but  not  one  so  delight- 
ful for  me  ;  so  I  have  answered  him,  it  is  for  him 
(Towfik)  to  arrange  with  these  two  officials,  and  to 
se7id  his  arrangements  in  the  form  of  a  firman  here. 
It  is  certain  that  no  legal  authority  exists  in  the 
Soudan,  except  it  is  held  from  Towfik,  and  unless 
these  two  officials  have  authority  from  Towfik,  they 
have  no  authority  in  the  Soudan  ;  now  if  they  hold 
authority  from  Towfik,  they  are  under  Towfik's 
orders. 

The  "  fiction  "  will  not  hold  good  in  the  Soudan. 
Though  I  am  pretty  well  dispirited  for  the  last  few 
days,  I  cannot  help  laughing  at  the  fearful  mess  we 
are  in.  Towfik  is  as  sharp  as  his  father,  and  wants 
to  quietly  saddle  me  with  the  controversy,  reserving 
to  himself  the  right  of  criticism,  but  I  do  not  feel 
inclined  to  be  thus  saddled,  and  I  shall  perhaps  ap- 
point Baring  Governor-General,  subject  to  the  ap- 
proval of  Towfik,  and  shall  bolt.  B.  may  say  he 
will  not  take  it,  but  he  will  have  no  choice,  for,  if  he 
does  not,  he  throws  away  any  legal  status  he  pos- 
sesses. He,  on  his  part,  may  name  some  one  else, 
but  that  will  be  his  look  out.  My  object,  of  course, 
is  to  make  tracks,  if  I  can  do  so  (without  hurting 
our  country,  or  being  the  cause  of  danger  in  the 
smallest  degree  to  our  troops),  and  to  leave  the  onus 
on  Baring  and  the  Ministry.  I  do  not  feel  so  kindly 
to  Towfik  as  to  fight  his  battles  up  here,  which  is 


844  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

what  he  evidently  aims  at,  neither  do  I  feel  inclined 
to  compromise  myself  by  aiding  Baring.'^  I  have 
said  the  only  possible  solution  is  the  Sultan,  let  the 
subsidy  be  what  it  may.  The  fact  is  that  the  ex- 
peditionary force  comes  up  here  as  allies  of  Towfik 
(unless  its  Government  says  it  comes  up  as  indepen- 
dent) ;  and  as  allies  of  Towfik,  it  is  in  all  reason  sub- 
ject, as  far  as  civil  affairs  are  concerned,  to  Towfik ; 
its  officers  can  issue  no  decrees,  except  in  his  name, 
save  those  which  concern  militaiy  operations.  A 
nice  accommodating  Governor-General  would  work 
this  affair,  without  friction.  I  will  not,  for  I  am  too 
deeply  involved  with  the  people  ;  but  I  want  (like  a 
rat)  to  leave  the  house  before  it  falls,  so  the  best 
thing  is  to  hint  to  me,  "  make  Kitchener  Governor- 
General,"  "  subject  to  the  approval  of  Toicfik  I  " 
Then  K.  would  do  all  you  want,  and  in  a  legal  way, 
and  you  would  be  happy.  Unless  you  have  a  supe- 
rior firman  to  mine,  you  cannot  make  K.  Governor- 
General  (even  if  you  had  ten  million  troops),  unless 
you  declare  yourself  the  rulers  of  the  land,  which 
you  will  not  do,  because  of  the  ninety  millions  ster- 
ling of  debt  on  Egypt.  5  P.  M.  Arabs  fired  two 
more  shells  at  the  Palace,  so  I  put  the  three  buglers 
on  the  roof  to  practice  at  them.  Thei/  say  they 
killed  fifteen.  I  would  much  like  to  know  contents 
of  Lord  W.'s  telegram  to  me,  also  the  telegrams  in 
cipher  from  Nubar  and  Baring ;  but  I  never  shall 
have  that  pleasure,  for  I  do  not  expect  either  this 
journal  will  ever  be  given  back,  or  if  it  is,  that  I 

"8  General  Gordon  here  declines  to   fight  the  Khedive's  ministerial 
battles.  —  Ed. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  345 

shall  be  lent  the  cipher  books  to  decipher  them. 
The  Arabs  frred  two  rounds  at  the  Palace  this  even- 
ing; one  fell  in  the  water  in  front  of  the  Palace, 
and  one  fell  in  the  garden.  Two  shells  fired  by 
the  Arabs  from  Bourr^  to-day,  fell  close  to  the 
hospital. 

To  my  mind,  this  is  the  idea  of  H.  M.  Govern- 
ment :  —  Expedition  comes  up  to  look  after  British 
subjects  nominally,  but,  in  reality,  to  settle  futtire 
government  of  Soudan,  under  the  pretence  that 
Towfh  govefms.  Towfik  telegraphs  to  me,  "  that 
the  British  officials  will  settle  future  status  of  the 
Soudan  with  me  sub  rosa! !''''  Now,  of  course,  I 
may  be  wrong,  but  my  idea  is  that  the  British  offi- 
cials will  propose  the  heeping  of  Sennaar,  Kartoum, 
Berber,  and  Dongola,  the  non-interference  with  the 
Mahdi,  cession  of  Kassala  to  King  John,  the  leav- 
ing to  their  fate  the  Ec[uator  Brovi7ices,  ^c.  And 
what  the  British  officials  propose  Towfik  will  agree 
to  ;  but  then  comes  the  question,  as  /  consider  the 
proposal  is  unacceptable  (inasmuch  as  long  as  the 
Mahdi  is  alongside,  no  peace  is  possible),  I  will  not 
accept  it,  and  will  leave  A.  or  B.  as  my,  and  Tow- 
fik's,  representative,  to  carry  the  proposition  out. 
("  Apres  moi,  le  deluge.''''^  No  one  can  blame  me 
for  this,  for  I  should  be  a  scoundrel  if  I  accepted 
any  proposition  which  would  eventually  give  trouble 
to  our  country. 

December  2.  —  The  Arabs  fired  four  shells  at  the 
Palace  at  daybreak  with  no  effect.  9  a.  m.  They 
have  fired  four  more ;  one  burst  close  to  my  room  — 


346  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

a  little  high.  I  have  put  two  gmis  near  the  Palace 
to  reply  to  them.  Report  in  town  says  Waled  a 
Goun's  men  are  passing  over  from  the  right  bank 
of  the  White  Nile  to  the  Mahdi's  camp  on  the  left 
bank.  Omdurman  Fort  reports  all  right.  11  a.  m. 
The  Arabs  opened  fire  again  on  the  Palace  ;  we  are 
answering.  The  Arabs  have  now  two  guns  firing  on 
us.  There  is  a  report  that  the  Arabs  of  the  Mahdi 
are  going  north  (on  the  left  bank  of  the  White 
Nile).  Noon. — We  have  silenced  our  friends  op- 
posite, having  concentrated  a  heavy  fire  on  them. 
I  nearly  lost  my  eyes  this  morning,  firing  on  Arabs : 
the  base  of  the  brass  cartridge  blew  out,  and  sent 
the  fire  into  my  face.  This  is  a  fault  of  the  Rem- 
ington ;  the  metal  case  of  this  cartridge  must  not 
be  used  too  often. 

Some  people  ought  to  have  their  heads  cut  off,  if 
there  is  to  be  any  quiet  in  the  Soudan.  I  wonder 
how  our  Government  will  be  able  to  allow  this  to 
be  done  under  their  nose,  for  however  necessary  to 
cut  their  heads  off,  looking  to  the  future  peace  of  the 
Soudan,  they  can  scarcely  be  called  rebels,  for  they 
may  say  they  Avere  forced  into  rebellion  by  the  in- 
ability of  the  Government  aiding  them,  and  also 
that  they  had  heard  that  the  Soudan  was  abandoned. 
3  P.  M.  Another  battle  !  with  Arabs  at  Goba,  who, 
however,  have  no  guns  —  firing  terrific.  3.15  P.  m. 
Battle  is  over,  and  we  have  won.  Arabs  silent. 
3.30  p.  M.  Arabs  began  it  again,  by  firing  their 
gun.  3.38  p.  M.  Battle  over,  an  Arab  (or  most 
likely  one  of  my  men)  is  standing  up,  throwing  dust 
in  the  air  (like  as  Shimei  dusting  David  —  "  Thou 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  347 

bloody  man."  2  Samuel  xvi.  8).  The  Arabs  must 
have  used  up  a  lot  of  ammunition,  for  they  kept  up 
a  good  fire,  though  where  their  bullets  went  no  one 
could  see.  The  Palace  and  the  North  Fort  and  Mu- 
duriat  being  high,  our  bidlets  reach  them,  but  theirs 
do  not  appear  to  reach  the  river.  They  have  a  reg- 
ular casemate  for  the  two  guns,  one  directed  on  the 
Palace  and  one  on  the  North  Fort.  They  took  two 
days  to  make  it,  quite  a  creditable  piece  of  work, 
with  a  screen  wall  in  front.     In  the  Crimea  it  was 


uriTi  ji  j-j_Li.iTEriTir)ii 

supposed  and  considered  mean  to  bob,  and  one  used 
to  try  and  avoid  it.  ...  used  to  say,  "  It  is  all 
well  enough  for  you,  but  I  am  a  family  man,"  and 
he  used  to  bob  at  every  report.  For  my  part,  I 
think  judicious  bobbing  is  not  a  fault,  for  I  remem- 
ber seeing  on  two  occasions  shells  like  this  "  •  " 
before  my  eyes,  which  certainly,  had  I  not  bobbed, 
would  have  taken  off  my  head  ("  And  a  good  rid- 
dance too .''  "  F.  O.  would  say).  I  make  these  re- 
marks with  reference  to  the  Arab  rifle  fire ;  you 
can  see  them  with  the  telescope  aim  directly  at  this 
wing  of  the  Palace  and  fire,  and  then  one  hears  a 
thud  in  the  water.  I  have  got  quite  accustomed  to 
them  now.  The  mitrailleuse  (a  Gatling)  moved 
them  out  of  their  cover  this  evening ;  we  have  it  on 
the  Muduriat.     The  Palace  roof  is  thus  — 


348  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

a  shell  striking  x  would  bring"  down  the  roof,  so 
when  the  Arabs  fire,  one  does  not  feel  comfortable 
as  one  hears  the  shell  sighing  through  the  air,  till 
one  hears  it  fall ;  it  is  at  least  40  feet  in  height,  but 
with  only  two  storeys.  The  Pasha  who  built  it 
(Monitoz  Pasha)  built  it  Avithout  leave  from  the  old 
Khedive,  taking  funds  which  he  had  no  right  to ; 
the  old  Khedive  did  not  see  it,  and  Ismail  Pasha 
Ayoub,  who  was  a  prisoner  here,  split  on  him  ;  he 
was  tried  here,  and  they  say  was  poisoned,  Ismail 
Ayoub  getting  his  j)lace.  Ismail  Ayoub  was  sent 
up  because  he  did  not  treat  one  of  the  cast-off  wives 
of  the  old  Khedive  (whom  he  was  forced  to  marry) 
with  proper  respect ;  so  this  wife  got  up  a  harem 
intrigue,  and  he  was  exiled. 

He  (Ismail  Ayoub)  was  a  great  scamp,  whatever 
was  the  cause  of  his  exile.  He  belonged  to  Kur- 
distan, and  was  originally  a  bugler  in  Said  Pasha's 
band ;  and  I  used  to  teU  him  he  was  as  much  a 
foreigner  in  this  land  as  I  was.  He  was  a  good 
musician,  and  had  learnt  French  and  German.  He 
is  now  dead.  Whilst  I  was  here,  I  think  he  was 
the  best  administrator  the  Soudan  ever  had.  He 
was  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  during  Lord 
Dufferin's  time,  and  wi'ote  the  famous  despatch 
about  the  inutility  of  using  the  kourbatch.  He  / 
who  was  famous  for  its  use  up  here,  and  who,  with 
Cherif  and  Towfik,  roared  with  laughter  over  the 
affair,  for  Lord  Dufferin  in  the  gravest  way  reported 
it  to  Lord  Granville,  who,  I  dare  say,  laughed  as 
heartily  over  it  with  Mr.  Sanderson.  Poor  Ismail 
Ayoub  !  he  was  a  most  agreeable  scoundrel ;  but  he 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  349 

came  to  grief  at  Cairo  in  1883  as  Minister  of 
Finance.  The  bugler  '''•Almas  "  {i.  e.  the  diamond^ 
telegraphed  his  confreres  that  he  had  killed  twenty 
Arabs  to-day ! ! 

December  3.  —  This  morning  Arabs  fired  eight 
rounds  at  us,  and  we  replied ;  one  of  our  shells 
struck  their  casemate.  Numbers  of  Arabs  left 
Mahdi's  camp  for  the  north.  Arabs  fired  nine 
rounds  into  the  town  at  night  from  the  south  lines. 
One  shell  fell  into  the  garden  of  the  Palace  ;  this 
from  the  south  lines.  A  shell  from  Arabs  at  Goba 
fell  in  the  garden,  so  it  will  be  seen  the  attention 
which  is  being  paid  to  the  Palace. 

Twenty  shells  fell  in  town  yesterday,  but  none 
did  any  harm. 

I  think  this  is  the  programme,  and  though  it  is 
of  doubtfid  morality,  perhaps  it  is  the  shortest  route 
out  of  a  mess.  "British  Expedition  comes  up  to 
relieve  British  subjects  in  distress,  nothing  else  ;  it 
finds  one  of  its  subjects  acting  as  ruler ;  it  takes 
him  away,  and  he,  on  going  away,  appoints  Zubair 
ruler,  subject  to  approval  of  Towfik,  Zubair  having 
been  allowed  to  come  up  to  Kartoum,  as  a  private 
individual,  to  look  after  his  family." 

Now  who  can  say  anything  to  the  British  Gov- 
ernment? It  has  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  ap- 
pointment of  Zubair,  or  with  the  Government  of 
Towfik ;  it  came  up  to  relieve  its  subjects,  and 
"  Gordon  is  entirely  responsible  for  the  appointment 
of  Zubair  ; "  "  even  To^vfik  is  not  responsible,  for 
Gordon  did  it  on   his  own  responsibility."      This 


350  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

will  be  a  splendid  dodge  ;  it  first  clears  Her  Majes- 
ty's Government  of  any  blame,  it  puts  the  blame  on 
me,  and  in  the  storm  that  is  caused,  I  shall  have 
been  so  effectually  blackened  that  every  one  will 
forget  the  —  well !  we  will  not  say  it  in  direct  words 
(count  the  months),  we  will  call  it  the  Delay  ;  in 
fact,  I  expect  the  public  will  rather  blame  the  Gov- 
ernment for  having  sent  any  Expedition  at  all  for 
such  a  style  of  British  subject ;  the  Government 
will  chuckle  over  it  all,  and  will  preserve  the  fiction 
that  they  have  nought  to  do  with  the  Soudan  or 
Egypt. 

The  Opposition  will  be  perfectly  wild  at  seeing 
the  Ministry  get  out  of  the  mess,  with  what  one  may 
call  really  credit,  while  the  Anti-Slavery  Society  and 
Europe  at  large  will  empty  their  vials  of  wrath  on 
me.  Towfik  and  his  pashas  will  wring  their  hands 
ojjenly  over  such  an  act.  .  .  .  will  get  such  kudos  ! 
For  my  part  I  shall  get  out  of  any  of  those  wi'etched 
honours,  for  the  Ministry  will  be  only  too  glad  to 
say,  "  We  could  not,  you  know,  confer  any  honours 
on  him  after  such  very  disreputable  conduct,"  know- 
ing well  enough  I  would  not  take  them  if  offered ; 
and  as  I  am  not  going  to  England  again,  and  shall 
not  see  the  papers,  I  shall  not  much  mind  the  abuse. 
I  think  it  is  a  splendid  programme.  Zubair  must  be 
given  either  X200,000  or  £300,000  a  year  for  two 
years,  replenished  magazines,  and  stores  of  all  sorts, 
all  the  Expedition's  boats  and  steamers,  &c.,  &c., 
and  must  be  aided  for  two  months  in  small  expedi- 
tions;  besides  the  £200,000  or  £300,000  for  two 
years,  he  must  have  down  on  the  nail  £150,000  to 
£200,000. 


GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  351 

I  must  clear,  in  disgrace,  out  of  the  country,  to 
prevent  any  appearance  of  any  connivance  on  the 
part  of  .  .  .  in  this  arrangement,  which  he  will  or 
ought  officially  to  deplore.  I  do  not  think  Zubair 
will  care  for  the  Equator  Province;  he  will  agree 
to  give  that  up ;  he  will  agree  to  uphold  the  Treaty 
of  1877  Slave  Convention,  and  laugh  as  he  does  so. 
As  for  the  Bahr  Gazelle,  I  expect  the  Mahdi  has  it, 
and  if  so,  his  people  will  move  up  there,  when  Zu- 
bair by  his  politics  recaptures  Obeyed. 

What  a  fearful  row  there  will  be.  I  know  one 
man  who  will  write:  "Better,  my  dear  Gordon,  FAR 
better !  to  have  died,  than  have  so  very  far  departed 
from  the  right  path  ;  nothing,  no  nothing  can  ex- 
plain it  away.  A  happy  Christmas  to  you."  .  .  . 
"  This  news  from  the  Soudan  is  very  satisfactory ; 
I  call  it  a  great  triumph,  for  it  not  only  delivers 
us  out  of  a  dilemma,  but  it  effectually  settles  our 
friends,  and  vitiates  anything  he'^  may  say  as  to 
the  Delay."  Any  military  operations  undertaken 
after  the  proclamation  of  Zubair  will  be  put  down 
"  as  measures  necessary  to  be  undertaken  to  secure 
the  return,  unmolested,  of  the  expeditionary  force." 
5  P.  M.  Artillery  duel  going  on  between  our  two 
guns  and  the  Arab  gun  ;  our  practice  is  very  bad. 
The  shells  the  Arabs  fire  from  their  Krupp  gun 
reach  the  Palace  Garden,  but  the  report  of  their 
gun  is  not  to  be  heard.  The  Arab  shells  from  Goba 
fall  just  about  200  yards  short  of  the  Palace,  but 
in  its  line ;  there  is  just  the  second  of  suspense  (after 
seeing  them  fire),  while  one  hears  the  soft  sighing 
"^  L  e.  General  Gordon.  —  Ed. 


352  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

of  their  shells  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  till  they 
strike.  7  P.  M.  Another  battle  !  (the  third  to-day). 
The  Arabs  came  down  to  the  river  and  fired  on  the 
Palace  ;  we  could  not  stand  that.  7.10  p.  m.  Battle 
over;  we  are  as  we  were,  minus  some  cartridges. 
7.20  P.  M.  Battle  begim  again,  because  the  buglers 
played  "  Salaam  Effendina,"  the  Arabs  wasting  am- 
munition. 8  P.  M.  The  Arabs  are  firing  from  the 
south  at  the  Krupps  on  the  Palace  ;  they  (/.  e.  the 
Arabs)  are  at  least  4,000  yards  distant ;  one  hears 
the  shells  burst,  but  not  the  report  of  their  gun  ; 
they  reached  the  river  close  to  the  Palace. 

Decemher  4.  —  Omdurman  Fort  all  right.  They 
had  a  man  wounded  yesterday.  There  was  a  small 
battle  at  Bourre  this  morning.  The  Arabs  at  Goba 
are  quiet  after  the  exertions  of  yesterday.  Fir- 
ing was  heard  (on  north)  towards  Shoboloha  last 
night.  Report  in  town  says  the  steamers  are  near 
there. 

Should  the  Zubair  arrangement  be  accepted,  then 
comes  the  question  of  the  military  action  during  two 
months,  at  end  of  which  time  the  expeditionary  force 
should  be  wending  its  way  back.  The  driving  away 
of  the  Arabs  from  the  Dem  at  the  north  of  the  Pal- 
ace will  be  immediate  on  the  arrival  of  the  troops ; 
the  Arabs  will  then  hold  on  to  El  foun  and  to  Gi- 
raffe. They  will  vacate  the  vicinity  of  Omdurman 
Fort ;  1,000  men  will  deal  with  El  foun  and  Giraffe, 
supported  by  our  tag-rag.  First  Giraffe,  then  El 
foun  ;  but  at  the  same  time  as  this  takes  place,  the 
retreat  of  Arabs  ought  to  be  cut  off  at  Gitana  from 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  353 

Kordofan  by  the  steamers  and  another  1,000  men  ; 
the  Mahdi  will  return  to  Schatt,  and  the  town  will 
be  free,  and  all  the  troops  defending  the  lines  wiU 
be  available.  Then  comes  the  question  of  going 
inland  and  attacking  the  family  of  the  Sheikh  el 
Obeyed's  son,  two  and  a  half  hours  inland,  or  else 
going  on  and  attacking  Mesalamieh.  I  think  Sheikh 
el  Obeyed's  family  will  give  in  as  soon  as  the  Arabs 
are  driven  from  El  foun  (an  affair  of  an  hour,  D. 
F.).  I  tried  to  entice  the  Arabs  at  Goba  into  a 
fight  this  evening,  but  they  would  not  be  drawn,  and 
only  replied  by  two  shells,  which  fell  in  the  river. 
We  played  on  them  with  the  mitrailleuse,  and  made 
them  move  their  gun,  and  then  they  fired  two  more 
shells,  one  of  which  fell  near  the  Palace  in  the  river. 
With  a  good  mitrailleuse,  and  a  sharp  operator,  with 
telescope  sight.,  no  gun  could  be  served  with  impu- 
nity at  2,000  yards  range,  though  it  could  be  served 
against  artillery  fire.,  for  at  that  range  there  is 
plenty  of  time  to  dodge  under  cover  after  seeing  the 
flash  ere  the  shell  arrives.  The  band,  principally 
of  small  boys,  the  men  being  on  the  lines,  went  on  to 
the  roof  of  the  Palace  to  play  (they  always  come  on 
the  eve  of  their  Sabbath,  the  Friday).  The  Arabs 
heard  them,  and  fired  a  volley  at  them  ;  they,  fu- 
rious, threw  down  their  instruments,  and  flew  to 
arms,  and  a  regular  fusillade  went  on  for  some  mo- 
ments, the  other  places  supporting  the  fire.  The 
buglers  are  bugling  now  "  Come  to  us,  come  to  us," 
to  the  Arabs.  (The  Egyptian  Government  have 
the  French  calls,  and  can  converse  by  bugle  ;  I  do 
not  think  we  have.)    Last  night  a  renegade  Dervish 


354  GENERAL  GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

bugler  in  the  Arab  ranks  replied, ''  Come  to  us,  come 
to  us." 

Decemher  5.  —  Small  church  parades.  Three  car- 
avans of  some  size  came  in  from  the  north  to  Ma- 
homet Achmet's  camp  this  morning.  Two  deser- 
ters came  in  from  the  Arabs.  Fort  at  Omdurraan 
all  right.  In  store  737  ardebs  of  dhoora,  121,300 
okes  of  biscuit. 

We  are  going  to  make  an  attempt  to  relieve  Om- 
durman  Fort  (really  things  are  looking  very  black). 
The  men  who  came  in  say  the  Mahdi  is  short  of  am- 
munition. The  Arabs  fired  three  shells  at  the  Palace 
this  afternoon,  which  fell  in  the  river.  A  soldier 
deserted  to-day  to  the  Arabs.  5  P.  m.  The  Arabs 
fired  two  shells  at  the  Palace,  which  fell  into  the 
water  (if  they  only  knew !  that  if  they  sank  the  trail 
they  would  touch  us  up !  their  line  is  quite  correct). 
6.30  p.  M.  Since  3  p.  m.  we  have  been  firing  on  them, 
and  they  on  us,  only  wasting  ammunition,  for  though 
our  bullets  reach  them,  few  of  theirs  reach  us.  Ac- 
cording to  the  men  who  came  in  from  the  Arabs,  it 
is  the  pet  detachment  of  the  Mahdi  who  are  opposite 
the  Palace ;  they  do  not  number  more  than  one 
hundred,  and  are  principally  our  Soudan  soldiers. 
I  have  almost  given  up  all  idea  of  saving  the  town ; 
it  is  a  last  resource,  this  attempt  we  make  to  open 
the  route  to  the  Omdurman  Fort. 

Decemher  6.  —  (Certainly  every  fortified  place 
ought  to  be  provided  with  a  hundred  good  tele- 
scopes.)    The  stccimers  went  down  and  fired  on  the 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  355 

Arabs  at  Omdurman.  We  have  <£150  in  cash  in  the 
treasury.  In  the  affair  to-day  we  had  three  killed 
and  thirty-six  wounded  in  the  steamers,  and  Ferratch 
Ullah  Bey  reports  he  had  five  wounded  at  Omdur- 
man Fort.  The  Arabs  came  down  in  good  force,  and 
must  have  lost. 

I  have  given  up  all  idea  of  landing  at  Omdurman  ; 
we  have  not  the  force  to  do  it.  The  Arabs  fired 
forty-five  rounds  from  their  guns  at  Mogrim  and  the 
steamers.  We  had  two  men  wounded  at  Mogrim, 
and  one  killed.  This  is  most  distressing  to  have 
these  poor  fellows  wounded  and  killed.  To-morrow 
it  will  be  270  days  9  months  that  we  have  endured 
one  continuous  misery  and  anxiety.  The  Greeks 
who  were  at  Mogrim  say  at  least  300  or  400  Arabs 
were  killed  and  wounded  in  to-day's  engagement. 
The  Ismailia  was  struck  by  four,  and  the  Bordeen 
by  two  shells,  but  not  in  vital  parts.  I  visited  the 
steamers,  and  had  weariness  of  heart  at  hearing  the 
complaint  of  the  men  as  to  the  robbery  of  their  ra- 
tions by  the  officers. 

Decemher  7.  —  The  270th  day  of  our  imprison- 
ment. The  Arabs  fired  from  their  guns  at  Goba  8 
shells,  one  of  which  fell  in  the  town  near  Palace, 
but  did  no  harm.  Omdurman  reports  the  fort  all 
right,  one  more  man  wounded  there.  A  great  force 
of  Arabs  strayed  down  near  Omdurman  last  night, 
and  left  at  dawn.  The  cock  turkey  has  killed  one 
of  his  companions,  reason  not  known.  (Supposed 
to  be  correspondence  with  Mahdi,  or  some  harem  in- 
fidelity.)    Report  in  town  that  Berber  surrendered, 


356  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

"  sans  coup  ferir^"  I  hope  so.  We  are  going  to 
send  the  steamers  down  again  to  attack  the  Arabs 
at  Omdurman  at  noon  to-morrow.  The  Arabs  fired 
nine  shells  at  Bourr6,  and  begun  again  their  prac- 
tice on  the  Palace,  firing  five  shells,  one  of  which 
came  close  to  the  roof  of  the  Palace. 

A  soldier  escaped  from  the  Arabs  and  came  in  ; 
he  says  the  Expeditionary  Force  has  captured  Ber- 
ber. Two  soldiers  deserted  to  the  Arabs  to-day! 
The  Arabs  at  Goba  fired  three  shells  this  evening  at 
the  Palace  ;  two  fell  close  to  it,  one  fell  in  the  water. 
One  shell  from  the  Arabs  at  Bourr6  fell  in  the  hos- 
pital. One  of  the  shells  of  the  Arabs  this  evening- 
struck  the  building  near  the  Palace,  and  stuck  in 
the  wall,  about  9  feet  from  the  ground.  A  man 
came  in  from  the  Arabs,  who  says  the  Expedition- 
ary Force  is  approaching.  I  saw  a  body  of  horse- 
men going  north  to-day,  very  fast,  from  El  foun. 
In  the  Ismailia  were  eighty  bullet  holes  on  the 
water  line  of  her  hull ;  in  the  Bordeen  there  were 
seventy-five  bullet  holes,  ditto  in  the  last  engage- 
ment 1 1 !  These  holes  were  stopped  by  screws 
made  for  the  purpose.  As  for  the  bullet  marks  else- 
where they  are  not  to  be  counted. 

My  belief  is  that  the  Mahdi  business  will  be  the 
end  of  slavery  in  the  Soudan.  The  Arabs  have  in- 
variably put  their  slaves  in  the  front  and  armed 
them;  and  the  slaves  have  seen  that  they  were 
plucky,  while  their  masters  shirked :  is  it  likely  that 
those  slaves  will  ever  yield  obedience  to  those  mas- 
ters as  heretofore  ? 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  357 

December  8.  —  The  Arabs  this  morning  fired 
twelve  rounds  from  guns  at  Bourre,  and  five  rounds 
at  the  North  Fort  and  Palace.  Two  men  came  in 
from  the  Arabs ;  they  say  no  Arabs  have  gone  down 
towards  Berber ;  that  the  report  in  the  Arab  camp 
was  that  Berber  was  captured  ;  this  report  was  four 
days  old.  10  A.  m.  The  steamers  are  going  down 
to  attack.  Omdurman  Fort  reports  '■''All  riglitr 
10.30  A.  M.  The  steamers  are  engaged ;  the  Arabs 
have  two  nasty  wasp  batteries  with  regular  em- 
brasures, quite  d  V Europe.  (Query,  Slatin  Bey's 
design.)  Though  we  have  protected  the  steam- 
chests  of  the  steamers,  one  cannot  help  being  very 
anxious.  The  Arabs  at  Goba  are  silent.  An- 
other soldier  from  the  Arabs  came  in,  and  states 
report  of  advance  of  tlie  Expeditionary  Force,  who 
are  coming  by  land.  Every  time  I  hear  the  guns 
fire  I  have  a  twitch  at  the  heart  of  gnawing  anxiety 
for  my  penny  steamers.  11.30  a.  m.  The  battle  is 
over,  and  my  penny  boats  are  safe,  thank  God  !  (not 
in  words  only,  but  from  my  heart).  We  had  two 
wounded  on  board  the  Bordeei^  none  on  board  the 
Ismailia.  We  are  meditating  an  attack  with  500 
men  on  the  50  Arabs,  who  with  their  gun  are  at 
Goba.  The  Bordeen  was  struck  by  four  shells,  the 
Ismailia  by  two  shells,  one  of  which  destroyed  a 
cabin  :  they  had  not  much  musketry  fire,  but  the 
Arabs  fired  a  great  number  of  rounds ;  they  had  six 
guns  playing  on  the  steamers.  At  noon  Arabs  fired 
five  shells  at  Bourr^.  In  the  evening  they  fired 
three  shells  against  the  Palace  from  Goba  which  fell 
in  the  town.     Had  we  not  cased  the  steam-chest  of 


858  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

the  Ismailia  with  wood  she  would  have  had  her 
boiler  blown  up  by  one  of  the  shells.  The  Arab 
rifle  force  of  Goba  is  completely  innocuous ;  we  do 
not  even  hear  their  bullets,  yet  our  bullets  reach 
them,  for  they  cannot  stay  in  the  open,  and  we  can 
see  the  dust  the  bullets  throw  up  that  we  fire. 
Wadji  Barra,  an  Ameer  of  the  Mahdi,  on  the  north 
side,  sent  me  a  letter  (in  Appendix  A,  B)  asking  me 
to  surrender,  and  saying  it  is  all  lies  about  the  Ex- 
pedition ;  the  Mahdi  is  evidently  (like  H.  M.  G.) 
oifended  with  my  curt  answer  to  his  last,  and  so  his 
holiness  will  not  write  direct.  Whenever  we  have 
what  we  call  a  victory  we  fire  some  fireworks  at  the 
main  posts  of  our  lines,  which  infuriates  the  Arabs, 
and  puzzles  them  as  to  the  reason.  They  were  very 
angry  to-night,  and  came  down  in  a  good  number, 
and  fired  on  the  Palace  several  volleys.  I  ordered 
up  the  three  buglers,  who  put  them  to  flight.  The 
letter  Wadji  Barra  sent  me  was  sent  by  a  woman 
who  came  to  the  North  Fort.  I  telegraphed  the 
officer,  "  Open  the  letter  and  tell  uje  contents."  He 
did  so,  and  I  answered,  "  Send  the  woman  back  to 
the  Ameer  and  tell  him  to  go,  &c."  I  expect  this 
irritated  the  Ameer,  who  ordered  the  advance  of 
his  men,  and  consequent  expenditure  of  his  am- 
munition. 

Decemher  9.  —  A  party  of  sixty  men,  with  ammu- 
nition, camels,  and  some  horsemen,  left  the  Dem 
of  the  Mahdi,  and  went  north  this  morning.  The 
Arabs  on  the  right  bank  of  the  White  Nile  came  over 
to  the  left  bank  of  the  Blue  Nile,  and  went  through 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  359 

some  antics,  so  we  suppose  something  is  up.  A  man 
was  woimded  yesterday  at  Omdurman,  which  fort 
reports  all  right.  Letter  sent  by  Wadji  Barra  in 
Appendix  A,  B.  The  Arabs  fired  yesterday  not 
rifled  shell,  but  round  shell,  which  they  must  have 
got  at  Obeyed,  which  shows  they  are  out  of  ammu- 
nition of  the  regulation  sort.  What  called  forth 
the  letter  from  Wadji  Barra  (Appendix  A,  B.)  was 
a  paper  I  issued  (Appendix  C,  D.)  to  the  town, 
when  I  received  Towfik's  telegram  saying  he  would 
hold  the  Soudan,  and  which  I  gave  to  a  man  to  send 
to  the  Arabs.  If  Lord  Palmerston  was  alive  (or 
Forster  was  Premier)  he  would  never  leave  the 
Soudan,  without  proclaiming  the  emancipation  of 
the  slaves.  On  18th  December,  1862,  Lincoln  pro- 
claimed abolition  of  slavery  in  the  United  States ; 
this  would  be  a  good  day  to  issue  such  a  proclamation 
in  the  Soudan.  Wadji  Barra's  letter  calls  me  Pasha 
of  Kartoum,  and  says  I  have  been  deaf  to  all  their 
entreaties.  Stewart  left  this  place  three  months 
ago  !  to-day.  A  man  was  wounded  by  the  Arab  fire 
at  Bourre :  they  fired  twelve  rounds  from  these  guns 
at  the  fort.  I  feel  sure  that  the  cause  of  the  Mahdi's 
coming  here  is  that  he  got  hold  of  Herbin's  '  French 
Consul's '  journal,  written  in  a  hostile  critical  spirit, 
and  thinking  it  true,  he  advanced  from  Schatt.  I 
expect  Hansall,  the  Austrian  Consul,  also  wi-ote  in 
the  style  of  Lamentations,  for  he  also  sent  down  a 
journal  by  the  Ahhas.  It  is  remarkable  that  the 
very  effort  which  I  made  to  obtain  the  ear  of  Europe 
should  have  thus  recoiled  on  us.  I  have  for  the 
present  abandoned  the  attack  on  the  Arabs  at  Goba, 


360  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

as  Omdurman  is  more  important,  and  as  I  expect 
the  Arabs  there  have  taken  away  their  gun  ;  it  has 
not  (up  to  2  p.  M.)  fired  to-day.  I  would  like  to 
ask  the  Mahdi  —  allowing  2^fo  formd  that  he  is  the 
Mahdi  —  what  will  be  his  idtimate  work  ?  Certainly 
his  present  work  is  not  exhilarating,  firing  on  his 
fellow-creatures  night  and  day.  The  siege  of  Sevas- 
topol lasted  326  days.  We  are  at  our  271st  day. 
In  their  case  they  had  always  their  communication 
open,  and  they  dealt  with  an  enemy  who  would  rec- 
ognise the  rights  of  war;  whereas  we  are  not  so 
placed.  They,  the  Russians,  were  united,  and  had 
no  civil  population  to  deal  with  ;  yet  I  cannot  say  I 
think  we  are  over  great  heroes  (the  fact  is,  that,  if 
one  analyses  human  glory,  it  is  composed  of  nine- 
tenths  twaddle,  perhaps  ninety-nine  hundreths  twad- 
dle). We  are  only  short  of  the  duration  of  siege 
of  Sevastopol  57  days,  and  we  have  had  no  re- 
s^nte,  like  the  Russians  had,  during  the  winter 
of  1854-55  ;  and  neither  Nicholas  nor  Alexander 
speculated  on  (well,  we  will  not  say  what,  but  we  will 
put  it)  "  counting  the  months."  Of  course  it  will 
be  looked  on  as  very  absurd  to  compare  the  two 
blockades,  that  of  Sevastopol  and  Kartoum;  but  if 
properly  weighed,  one  was  just  as  good  as  the  other. 
The  Russians  had  money,  we  had  none ;  they  had 
skilled  officers,  we  had  none ;  they  had  no  civil 
population,  we  had  forty  thousand ;  they  had  their 
route  open  and  had  news,  we  had  neither. 

December  10.  — A  slave  came  in  to-day,  he  had 
been  with  Slatin.     He  says  Slatin  is  still  in  chains, 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  361 

that  there  are  two  insurrections  in  Kordofan,  and 
rumour  is  rife  that  the  Expeditionary  Force  is  near. 
Fort  Omdurman  is  all  right.  The  slave  says  the 
Arabs  have  not  much  ammunition.  The  Arabs  fired 
thirty-one  rounds  at  Bourre  to-day,  and  wounded 
four  men  (one  an  officer,  a  Major  Soulleiman  Effi, 
fatally).  The  Arabs  have  been  firing  stones  to-day. 
Goba  is  quiet ;  they  did  not  fire  their  gun  to-day,  or 
yesterday.  I  expect  it  has  gone  down  to  the  river- 
bank.  The  slave  who  came  in  says  the  Mahdi's 
return  to  Kordofan  is  cut  off  by  the  insurrection  in 
his  rear ;  so  we  and  he  are  like  two  rats  in  a  box. 
(I  wish  he  was  out  of  the  hox  /)  I  have  ordered 
the  two  steamers  to  stay  up  at  Bourre,  towards  which 
place  the  Arabs  seem  to  be  directing  an  unpleasant 
degree  of  attention.  (Truly  I  am  worn  to  a  shadow 
with  the  food  question  ;  it  is  one  continual  demand.) 
Five  men  deserted  to-day.  The  Arabs  shape  the 
stones  they  fire  like  to  the  shells  of  their  guns  ; 
they  will  soon  spoil  the  rifling  of  their  guns  if  they 
continue  this. 

December  11.  —  The  Arabs  fired  their  gun  from 
Goba  three  times ;  one  shell  fell  into  the  water  be- 
fore the  Palace,  two  passed  over  it.  I  put  down 
more  mines  at  Bourr^.  I  have  given  the  whole  gar- 
rison an  extra  month's  pay  in  addition  to  the  three 
months'  they  had  before  received  ;  I  will  not  (Z). 
F.)  hesitate  to  give  them  £100,000,  if  I  think  it  will 
keep  the  town. 

Three  soldiers  came  in  from  the  Arabs  who  report 
advance  of  the  Expedition  towards  Berber.      The 


362  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

Arabs  fired  fourteen  rounds  from  their  guns  at 
Bourr^.  The  officers  say  that  there  is  a  European 
directing  the  Arab  guns  there.  (I  wonder  if  it  is 
that  Frenchman  who  came  from  Dongola,  and  who, 
I  thought,  might  have  been  Renan.)  Sennaar  is 
holding  out  .and  in  great  force  (so  say  the  three  sol- 
diers), so  is  Kassala.  The  Dem  of  the  Mahdi  is 
altered  in  appearance.  They  say  he  has  sent  off 
the  families  of  his  adherents  into  the  interior. 

3.30  p.  M.  —  The  Arabs  fired  three  shells  at  the 
Palace  from  Goba  ;  two  went  into  the  water,  one 
passed  over  the  Palace.  This  always  irritates  me, 
for  it  is  so  personal,  and  from  one's  own  soldiers 
too  !  It  is  not  very  pleasant  also  to  feel  at  any 
moment  you  may  have  a  shell  in  your  room,  for  the 
creatures  fire  at  all  hours.  The  steamers  fired  on 
the  Arabs  at  Bourr^  this  morning,  and  one  of  the 
Arab  shells  struck  one  steamer,  and  another  struck 
a  santal  which  we  have  there  to  defend  the  flank  ; 
but  neither  did  any  harm.  Two  soldiers  deserted  to 
the  Arabs  to-day  ;  these  men  are  generally  those 
who  liave  before  been  with  the  Arabs,  and  had  de- 
serted to  us.  The  Arabs  fired  another  shell  at  the 
Palace  this  evening,  which  burst  in  the  air. 

December  12.  —  Small  Church  Parade.  I  sin- 
cerely hope  this  will  be  the  last  we  shall  have  to  wit- 
ness. AVe  have  in  hand  1,796,000  rounds,  Reming- 
tons' ammunition,  540  rounds  Krupp  ;  6,000  rounds 
mountain  gun  ammunition  ;  £140  in  specie  ;  ,£18,000 
in  paper  in  treasury !  !  £60,000  in  town  in  paper. 
110,000  okas  of  biscuits  j    700   ardebs   of  dhoora. 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  363 

This  mornmg  I  was  told  a  long  story  of  report  con- 
cerning the  expeditionary  force  being  at  El  Darner, 
near  the  Atbara  river  ;  of  how  Berber  had  surren- 
dered, &c.  On  tracing  it,  I  found  it  was  a  fib  put 
in  circulation  by  one  of  the  chief  Ulemas,  to  encour- 
age the  people. 

3.30  p.  M.  The  Arabs  fired  two  shells  at  the 
Palace ;  one  burst  iu  the  air,  the  other  fell  in  the 
water  in  a  direct  line  with  the  window  I  was  sitting 
at,  distant  about  a  hundred  yards. 

3.40  p.  M.  They  fired  another  shell,  which  fell 
only  fifty  yards  short  of  the  Palace ;  another  burst 
in  the  air.  I  have  sent  the  buglers  up  to  stop  this 
target  practice.  All  these  shells  are  in  good  line 
for  the  west  wing,  in  which  the  Arabs  know  I  stop. 
They  fired  seven  shells  in  all  in  this  affair;  though 
the  Arabs  have  fired  over  two  thousand  shells  at  us, 
I  do  not  think  we  have  lost  by  artillery  fire  more 
than  three  men. 

December  13.  —  The  steamers  went  up  and  at- 
tacked the  Arabs  at  Bourre  (certainly  this  day-after- 
day  delay  has  a  most  disheartening  effect  on  every 
one.  To-day  is  the  276th  day  of  our  anxiety).  The 
Arabs  appear,  by  all  accounts,  to  have  suffered  to- 
day heavily  at  Bourre.  We  had  none  wounded  by 
the  Arabs ;  but  one  man,  by  the  discharge  of  a  bad 
cartridge,  got  a  cut  in  neck :  this  was  owing  to  the 
same  cause  as  nearly  blew  out  my  eyes  the  other 
day.  We  are  going  to  send  down  the  Bordeen  the 
day  after  to-morrow,  and  with  her  I  shall  send  this 
journal.      If  some  effort   is   not  made  before   ten 


864  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL. 

days'  time  the  town  will  fall.  It  is  inexplicable, 
this  delay.  If  the  Expeditionary  Forces  have  reached 
the  river  and  met  my  steamers,  one  hundred  men 
are  all  that  we  require,  just  to  show  themselves. 

I  send  this  journal,  for  I  have  little  hopes  of  sav- 
ing it  if  the  town  falls.  I  put  in  (Appendix  E.  F.), 
the  sort  of  arrangement  I  would  make  with  Zubair 
Pasha  for  the  future  government  of  the  Soudan. 
Ferratch  Pasha  is  really  showing  an  amount  of  vig- 
our I  did  not  give  him  credit  for.  Even  if  the  town 
falls  under  the  nose  of  the  Expeditionary  Force,  it 
will  not,  in  my  opinion,  justify  the  abandonment  of 
Sennaar  and  Kassala,  or  of  the  Equatorial  Province, 
by  Her  Majesty's  Government.  All  that  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  is,  for  fifty  of  the  Expeditionary 
Force  to  get  on  board  a  steamer  and  come  up  to 
Halfeyeh,  and  thus  let  their  presence  be  felt ;  this 
is  not  asking  much,  but  it  must  happen  at  once  ;  or 
it  will  (as  usual)  be  too  late.  A  soldier  deserted  to 
the  Arabs  to-day  from  the  North  Fort.  The  buglers 
on  the  roof,  being  short  of  stature,  are  put  on  boxes 
to  enable  them  to  fire  over  the  parapet ;  one  with 
the  recoil  of  rifle  was  knocked  right  over,  and 
caused  considerable  excitement.  We  thought  he  was 
killed,  by  the  noise  he  made  in  his  fall.  The  Arabs 
fired  their  Krupps  continually  into  town  from  the 
south  front,  but  no  one  takes  any  notice  of  it.  The 
Arabs  at  Goba  only  fired  one  shell  at  the  Palace 
to-day,  which  burst  in  the  air.  ^ 

December  14th.  —  Arabs  fired  two  shells  at  the 
Palace  this  morning ;  546  ardebs  dhoora !  in  store ; 


GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNAL.  365 

also  83,625  okes  of  biscuit!  10.30  a.  m.  The  steamers 
are  down  at  Omdurman,  engaging  the  Arabs,  con- 
sequently I  am  on  tenterhooks,  1  11.80  a.m.  Steam- 
ers returned ;  the  Bordeen  was  struck  by  a  shell  in 
her  battery ;  we  had  only  one  man  wounded.  We 
are  going  to  send  down  the  Bordeen  to-morrow  with 
this  journal.  If  I  was  in  command  of  the  two 
hundred  men  of  the  Expeditionary  Force,  which  are 
all  that  are  necessary  for  the  movement,  I  should 
stop  just  below  Halfeyeh,  and  attack  the  Arabs  at 
that  place  before  I  came  on  here  to  Kartoum.  I 
should  then  communicate  with  the  North  Fort,  and 
act  according  to  circumstances.  Now  mark  this, 
if  the  Expeditionary  Force,  and  I  ask  for  no  more 
than  two  hundred  men,  does  not  come  in  ten  days, 
the  toxon  may  fall ;  and  I  have  done  my  best  for 
the  honour  of  our  country.     Good  bye. 

C.  G.  Gordon. 

You  send  me  no  information,  though  you  have 
lots  of  money.  C.  G.  G. 


APPENDICES    REFERRED   TO    IN   THE 
JOURNALS. 


APPENDICES  TO  BOOK  I. 


APPENDIX  A. 

Letter  to  General  Gordon  from  Abd  el  Kader  Ibrahim. 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Merciful  and  Compassionate,  bless- 
ing be  on  our  lord  Mohammed,  and  peace. 

From  the  servant  of  his  Lord  —  the  Fal^eer  (humble  one)  Abd  el  Kader 
Ibrahim,  Kadi  (Judge)  of  Kalakla,  to  his  Excellency  Gordon  Pasha, 
Governor  General  of  the  Soudan. 

Now  tliis  is  what  we  have  to  state  to  your  Excellency  :  Your 
benevolence  and  compassion  towards  all  are  well  known,  and 
your  special  regard  towards  us  is  most  particularly  known  to 
us,  and  confirmed  by  deeds  since  the  beginning  of  your  pres- 
ence in  the  Soudan  both  the  first  and  this  second  time. 

That  which  you  have  declared  in  proclamation  emanating 
from  you  on  your  arrival  in  the  Soudan  this  time  is  known  to 
us  both  publicly  and  privately. 

But  the  first  conviction  in  the  true  mission  of  this  present 
Imam,  the  Mahdi  (the  expected  one,  on  whom  be  peace)  from 
the  very  beginning  (first  day)  of  his  appearance,  forbids  us  to 
accept  your  letters  or  to  return  to  you.  For  we  know  about 
him  what  the  Ulema  (wise  men),  who  have  wandered  from 
the  right  way,  do  not  know.  And  as  the  mission  of  this  Imam, 
the  Mahdi  (the  expected  one,  on  whom  be  peace)  is  predicted 
(confirmed)  for  us  and  for  you  in  the  ancient  books,  we  cannot 
incline  to  (receive)  your  many  kindnesses  and  your  regard  to 
us  (as  shown)  by  your  favours  and  your  bounties,  or  forsake 
the  command  of  the  glorious  and  Most  High  God  and  of  his 
prophet  Mohammed,  on  whom  be  peace.  We  had  previously 
to  this  frequently  communicated  with  your  Highness.  And 
on  each  occasion  we  explained  sufficiently  for  him  who  has  a 
heart  (to  understand)  ;  and  in  all  our  communications  we  made 
clear  unto  you  the  way  of  peace  and  salvation.  But  you  have 
not  accepted  it  ;  nor  have  you  given  your  mind  to  the  impor- 
tant object  of  our  call  unto  you  —  which  is  the  means  of  your 


370  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

material  and  moral  salvation  from  the  dangers  of  this  world 
and  the  next,  (and  that  both)  for  yourself  and  for  the  people 
of  the  city  —  because  many  of  them  are  our  friends  and  our 
relations. 

But  you  have  rejected  what  we  have  demonstrated  to  you 
again  and  again.  You  have  listened  to  the  Ulema  whom  this 
world  has  deceived  by  its  glittering  mirage,  making  them  for- 
get both  their  own  souls  and  the  Moslems,  for  the  sake  of  con- 
temptible riches  of  this  life. 

Yet  their  enmity,  and  giving  of  the  lie,  to  the  Imam,  the 
Mahdi  (the  expected  one,  on  whom  be  peace),  are  predicted  in 
the  ancient  books,  and  they  themselves  are  aware  of  this.  But 
if  they  ignore  this  let  them  consider  the  preface  of  the  book, 
"Keshef  el  Ghuma  an  Jamia  el  Nraa,"  by  Shakrani.* 

But  you  rely  upon  their  sayings  and  listen  to  their  words, 
notwithstanding  what  has  been  proved  and  made  known  to 
you  and  to  all  intelligent  people  of  the  calamities  and  destruc- 
tion that  have  befallen  the  country.  This  is  the  very  point 
(acme)  of  your  error,  and  of  your  blindness  as  to  what  is 
right. 

But  because  we  have  not  ceased  to  compassionate  you  and 
the  people  of  the  city  ;  and  because  the  supreme  Emir  Abder- 
rahnian  el  Najoomie,  and  the  Emir  Abdallah  en  Noor  and  the 
other  emirs  with  him,  have  come  with  a  very  great  host  of 
troops  of  all  the  various  tribes  which  have  submitted  to  the 
Imam,  on  whom  be  peace. 

(And  because)  You  are  utterly  heedless  as  to  (the  safety 
of)  yourself  and  the  people  of  the  city,  in  our  exceeding  com- 
passion we  have  written  this  to  you  in  return  for  your  past 
regard  and  favour  to  us.  And  we  beseech  God  that  it  may  be 
accepted  (by  you). 

Besides  all  this,  the  noble  Imam  himself  has  arrived  at 
Schatt,  and  with  him  innumerable  hosts,  end  he  -will  shortly 
come  with  his  army  to  the  city. 

It  is  therefore  our  duty  to  inform  you  of  this  in  the  hope 
that  you  will  listen  to  us,  and  disregard  the  words  of  the  se- 
ditious ;  and  that  you  will  submit  to  the  Imam,  the  Mahdi, 
because,  beyond  all  doubt  he  is  the  Imam,  the  INIahdi  (the  ex- 
pected one,  on  whom  be  peace).  And  all  the  Governments 
(Powers)  will  be  destroyed  by  his  hand  ;  for  he  is  supported 
and  made  victorious  by  the  power  of  God.  Be  not  misled  by 
that  which  happened  in  the  Deserts  of  Joreef  and  in  the 
Desert  of  the  East  (Deem). 

For  God  made  the  prophet  Mahomed  victorious,  and  humil- 
iated all  his  enemies  after  his  defeat  in  the  raid  on  Badr  and 

*  Title  of  Book,  The  Dissipation  of  Gloom  from  all  {Mohammedan) 
Peoples. 


APPENDICES.  371 

on  Ohod,  both  (which  are)  well  known.  And  God  gave  him 
unbroken  victory  (success  after  that)  as  much  as  he  wished 
and  desired.  All  (the  defeat)  which  has  occurred  in  the  two 
deserts  before-named  is  worth  nothing  (unimportant). 

It  does  not  equal  (counterbalance)  a  tenth  of  the  tenth  of 
those  slaughtered  in  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Shaikh  el  Abeed, 
as  is  known  to  you  and  the  jjeople  of  the  city. 

This  is  our  counsel  to  you,  and  please  God  you  and  the  peo- 
ple of  the  city  may  accept  it. 

And  know,  O  Excellency  Gordon,  that  we  have  communi- 
cated with  his  Highness  the  Mahdi  on  your  behalf  ;  and  his 
favourable  answer  has  come,  (which  is)  of  a  nature  to  please 
you  and  give  you  confidence,  provided  that  you  submit  and 
obey. 

And  this  is  the  communication  (of  the  Mahdi)  sent  to  you 
by  the  two  Moslem  envoys,  together  with  the  dervishes,  our 
allies,  who  now  come  to  you. 

(Signed)     Ibrahim  Abd  el  Kader. 

Dated  18  Zn'l  Kadi,  1301. 
9th  Sept.,  1884. 

Postscript.  —  With  have  sent  this  reply  to  your  Excellency 
with  our  allies  the  dervishes,  dispatched  from  the  Lord  of  all, 
the  Mahdi  (the  expected  one,  on  whom  be  peace),  and  with 
the  two  Moslems,  Mahomed  Yusuf  and  George  Calamatiano. 
And  because  they  were  refused  at  the  gates,  we  now  send  it 
back  to  you  with  our  sou  Suleiman,  specially  sent  by  us,  who 
has  a  letter  from  the  headquarters  of  the  Imam  requesting 
your  speedy  reply  to  him. 

All  the  emirs  here  present  have  given  assurance  of  safe 
conduct,  in  the  name  of  God  and  of  his  prophet,  to  whomso- 
ever you  may  send  for  needful  negotiations.  And  if  it  is 
agreeable  to  your  Excellency,  send  for  our  son  and  for  our 
friend  George  Calamatiano  for  complete  understanding  be- 
tween us  and  you,  as  he  is  both  mtelligent  and  friendly  in  this 
matter. 

And  it  appears  from  your  letter  that  (you  consider  us)  in- 
telligent and  understanding  ;  therefore  you  should  have  be- 
lieved our  report  about  this  Imam,  that  there  might  be  a  fruit 
(benefit)  derived  for  all.  But  we  believe  that  your  opinion  of 
us  for  sense  was  inconsistent. 

Now  God  is  the  Director  and  Guide  into  truth. 

(Signed)     Ibrahim  Abd  el  Kader. 
Written  the  same  date. 


372  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 


APPENDIX   Ai. 
General  Gordon's  reply  to  [Ibrahim]  Abd  el  Kader. 

We  have  received  your  answer  and  we  have  taken  note  of 
all  you  have  said. 

With  regard  to  the  spies  of  whom  you  informed  us  that 
they  were  entrusted  with  delivery  of  the  replies  —  when 
(they)  these  special  messengers  arrived  at  the  ramparts,  we 
did  them  no  harm. 

But  when  we  sent  a  messenger  with  our  answers  you  fired 
with  ball  upon  the  slave  when  he  placed  the  stick  upon  the 
ground. 

We  received  the  messenger  who  came  to  us  from  you,  and 
he  saw  that  we  were  well. 

It  would  be  better  that  the  messengers  whom  you  send  to 
us  should  be  people  of  sense,  and  who  know  how  to  behave. 
As  to  the  Greek  whom  it  is  your  intention  to  send  to  us  —  the 
person  who  has  forsaken  our  religion  and  adopted  another  re- 
ligion —  we  do  not  wish  to  receive  him,  just  as  you  would  not 
wish  to  receive  a  Moslem  who  had  adopted  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. 

A  letter  has  been  sent  us  by  this  person  aforesaid.  It  shows 
us  that  he  has  important  information  which  concerns  the 
Europeans.  But  we  know  that  there  are  many  like  this  fellow, 
who  have  information  that  concerns  the  son  of  Najoomi. 

But  perhaps  the  information  about  the  Europeans  of  which 
he  has  told  us  is  about  the  bringing  of  the  European  army  to 
fight  the  son  of  AVeld  el  Najoomeh  after  thirty  days  —  for  we 
have  now  a  precious  opportunity. 

I  know  that  you  have  been  invested  with  a  veil  and  robes 
of  honour,  and  you  say  that  Mohammed  Achmed  is  the  Mahdi 
—  and  I  know  that  there  is  among  you  a  man  of  mature  age 
who  has  spent  his  life,  from  his  youth  up,  in  Islam  —  who 
would  consent  to  the  ruin  of  the  country. 

Considering  that  I  cannot  bear  the  sight  of  that  renegade 
traitor,  it  is  preferable  that  you  should  send  us  a  respectable 
pious  man,  who  may  be  depended  on,  to  receive  10,000  guineas 
for  the  ransom  of  the  Europeans  who  are  to  be  found  there, 
and  we  will  send  them  by  his  hand  ;  and  if  you  say  that  Mo- 
hammed Achmed  is  the  Mahdi,  why  does  he  remain  in  the 
White  (Nile)?— he  ought  (if  he  is  the  Mahdi)  to  take  the 
whole  country. 

[The  copy  above  translated  is  extremely  illegible  —  evi- 
dently written  in  haste  —  by  an  unaccustomed  scribe  ;  the 
handwriting  is  bad  and  in  Turkish  style. 

We  have  surmised  that  General  Gordon  employed  the  writer 


APPENDICES.  373 

as  being  trustworthy,  for  among  the  inhabitants  of  K.artoum  it 
must  have  been  possible  to  find  one  who  could  wi-ite  better. 

George   Calamatiauo  is  evidently  the  renegade   whom  the 
General  refuses  to  admit  to  his  presence.] 


APPENDIX  A2. 

Letter  to  General  Gordon  from  Abderrahhman  en  Najoomi  and 
Abdallah  en  Noor. 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Merciful  and  Compassionate,  bless- 
ing be  on  our  lord  Mahomed  and  peace. 

From  the  slaves  of  their  lord,  Abderrahhman  en  Najoomi 
and  Abdallah  en  Noor,  lieutenants  of  the  Mahdi  (the  expected 
one,  on  whom  be  peace),  to  Gordon  Pasha.  May  God  direct 
him  to  the  truth. 

What  we  state  to  thee  is  :  First,  that  thou  art  a  stranger  in 
the  country  and  to  this  government,  and  thou  art  intelligent 
and  well  informed. 

What  God  wishes  to  reveal  neither  men  nor  demons  can 
keep  secret  ;  and  even  if  they  seem  to  do  so  God  will  accom- 
plish His  design  in  spite  of  the  infidels.  At  thy  first  arrival 
at  Kartoum  the  Imam,  &c.  (here  follow  the  customary  phrases 
of  respect),  wrote  to  thee  to  surrender  to  God  and  his  prophet, 
and  informed  thee  of  the  truth,  in  which  there  is  no  lie,  and 
assured  thee  that  after  that,  if  thou  didst  not  submit  to  the 
command  of  God  and  his  prophet,  the  army  of  God  will  come 
to  thee  and  will  destroy  that  in  which  thou  (hast  aspired) 
to  share  with  God  thy  Creator  (in  claiming)  rule  over  His 
(faithful)  servants,  while  the  earth  belongs  to  God,  and  He 
causes  whom  He  will  of  his  righteous  servants  to  inherit  it. 

And,  nevertheless,  thou  hast  sent  to  his  Highness  a  reply 
different  from  that  desired,  and  the  substance  of  it  (is)  thy 
refusal  to  obey  and  submit  to  what  he  commanded  thee  to  do. 
Yet  in  his  desire  for  thy  good  he  waited  and  delayed  a  space 
of  time,  expecting  that  thy  sense  (reason)  would  return  unto 
thee,  and  that  thou  wouldst  consider  thy  ways,  nor  rely  upon 
this  world  and  its  illusions  nor  on  its  transitory  possessions 
(wealth). 

Time  has  now  been  prolonged,  and  he  has  become  aware  of 
thy  firm  resolve  not  to  obey  and  submit.  He  has  now  ap- 
pointed us,  the  lieutenants  above  named,  and  he  has  supplied 
us  with  trusty  men  from  among  his  companions  —  men  who 
love  death  as  ye  love  life,  and  who  count,  in  fighting  you,  on 
the  great  reward.  Death  is  dearer  to  them  than  their  wives 
or  the  very  best  of  their  possessions. 


374  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

One  man  of  them  in  battle  is  better  than  a  thousand  of  you. 
He  has  provided  us  with  weapons  of  war  —  in  which  thou 
thinkest  there  is  victory  —  with  Krupp  cannon,  with  mountain 
guns  for  battle,  in  which  thou  shalt  taste  of  evil  if  thou  turn 
aside  from  the  way  of  God. 

The  desire  of  the  Mahdi  (&c.)  is  for  thy  good.  He  did  not 
stop  at  the  previous  correspondence,  but  sent  you  his  messen- 
gers with  his  letter,  and  he  especially  sent  two  Europeans  to 
counsel  thee  and  make  the  truth  known  to  thee  ;  and  this  out 
of  mercy  and  compassion  to  thee  and  those  with  thee  (to  save 
thee)  from  destruction  in  this  world  and  from  the  evil  of  tor- 
ment in  the  next.  Notwithstanding  all  this  thou  hast  remained 
stubborn,  and  hast  turned  thy  back  to  counsel  in  thy  greed  for 
transitory  power,  from  which  thou  must  soon  be  removed  (by 
death),  either  willingly  or  unwillingly  (either  peaceable  or 
by  violent),  and  thou  hast  replied  to  the  Lord  of  all  (on  whom 
be  peace)  refusing  to  submit,  arguing  by  quotations  from  the 
Koran  and  other  prophecies  dictated  by  thy  scribes  and  thy 
Ulema,  and  thou  reliest  on  their  proofs  with  which  thou  art 
not  acquainted.  But  the  fulfilment  of  those  passages  is  to  be 
found  in  the  Mahdi  (on  whom  be  peace)  and  his  honourable 
companions. 

And  know,  O  honourable  Pasha,  and  all  eri-ing  Ulema  who 
are  with  thee  —  for  they  do  know  the  truth  but  do  not  counsel 
thee  (aright),  because  they  love  the  grandeur  and  wealth  which 
they  have  obtained  from  thee  by  deceit  and  sedition. 

And  listen  —  if  thine  understanding  be  enlightened  —  to  our 
advice  and  to  what  El  Jaber  our  brother,  formerly  called 
George  Calamatino,  will  advise  thee,  so  that  if  thou  dost  obey 
and  submit  to  the  command  of  God  and  His  prophet  thou  shalt 
save  thyself,  and  obtain  the  privilege  of  saving  those  who  are 
with  thee. 

Otherwise  do  not  doubt  but  that  those  and  those  with  thee 
will  'be  destroyed  within  two  days,  because  the  lord  of  all  will, 
please  God,  come  here,  and  on  his  arrival  —  should  he  still  find 
thee  in  rebellion  —  ye  will  be  destroyed. 

Awaiting  your  decision  by  bearer, 

(Signed). 
Dated  21  Zu'l  Kadi,  1-301. 
12th  Sept.,  1884. 

Postscript.  —  We  also  inform  thee,  O  honourable  Pasha,  that 
so  far  the  Ulema  who  are  with  thee,  and  on  whose  sayings 
thou  dependest,  all  their  children  and  relations  are  with  the 
Mahdi,  and  as  soon  as  distress  comes  to  them  they  will  leave 
thee  alone.  Outwardly  they  are  bodily  with  thee  ;  but  in- 
wardly their  hearts  are  with  us.  The  news  (information)  of 
the  city  and  of  thee  is  constantly  supplied  to  us  by  the  people 


APPENDICES.  375 

of  the  city.     Do  not  let  the  Ulema,  the  merchants  and  the  ser- 
vants, deceive  thee,  for  when  thou  shalt  fall  into  the  grasp  (of 
the  Mahdi)  they  will  not  help  thee  nor  protect  thee. 
Listen  to  our  counsel  with  an  attentive  ear. 

(Signed)     Abderrahhman  en  Najoomi. 
Abdallah  en  Noor. 
Same  date. 

[This  letter  is  more  peremptory  in  tone,  and  lacks  the 
proper  titles  of  respect  given  in  the  former  one  to  General 
Gordon.] 


From  General  Gordon.    (Reply  to  his  honour  the  Sheikh  Abder- 
rahhman en  Najoomi.) 

Your  letter  sent  hy  Mr.  George  Calamatiuo,  who  is  called 
El  Jaber,  has  reached  us.  That  which  you  have  made  known 
in  it  is  understood.  It  is  true  that  this  is  not  my  country,  and 
I  am  a  stranger  in  it,  but  I  am  deputed  as  Governor-General 
here  by  the  two  great  Governments,  and  must  therefore  direct 
its  affairs  as  becomes  my  friendship  and  compassion  for  the 
Moslems. 

If  there  be  a  man  who  desires  to  become  a  dervish  we  do 
not  hinder  him.  With  regard  to  the  Ulema,  you  state  that 
they  are  all  liars,  and  that  their  words  are  worthless.  But 
they  have  said  nothing  but  what  they  find  declared  in  the 
books  ;  nay,  all  the  Ulema  of  Islam  are  jjlain  on  the  subject. 

They  do  not  wish  to  sleep  on  the  (bare)  ground,  or  to  be 
dressed  like  dervishes,  or  to  change  the  clothing  to  which  they 
have  been  accustomed  from  the  beginning  of  the  Moslem  re- 
ligion. 

We  have  never  sent  answers  to  His  Honour  Mahomed  Ach- 
med,  or  to  any  others,  at  dictation  of  scribe  or  any  of  the 
Ulema,  but  by  help  of  the  Arabic  and  English  lexicon  in  our 
possession,  dictating  them  (myself)  word  by  word  ;  and  if  you 
do  not  believe  this  send  us  an  eminent  man,  of  good  sense, 
to  listen  to  my  words  (and  hear),  whether  they  are  my  own 
or  not. 

In  proof  (of  what  I  say)  I  have  received  three  dervishes 
from  Mahomed  Achmed.  They  wore  the  patched  garments 
(of  a  dervish),  and  they  were  very  talkative  in  Arabic,  and  I 
refused  the  garment  (of  a  dervish  which  had  been  sent  by 
them).     Was  that  my  own  doing,  or  that  of  any  one  else  ? 

But  as  to  the  cannons  and  the  guns  which  ye  want  to  fight 
us  with,  we  have  still  many  like  them. 

We  have  seen  from  the  letters  we  receive  that  the  Mahdi 
destroys  people  without  cannons  and  guns,  which  is  true. 

As  to  George,  the  Greek  afore-named,  we  do  not  see  any 
advantage  in  a  visit  from  him. 


376  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

With  regard  to  the  people  and  the  Ulenia,  of  whom  you  say 
that  outwardly  their  bodies  are  with  us,  but  that  their  hearts 
are  with  you,  and  that  in  the  day  of  battle  they  will  desert  us 
and  flee  to  you,  be  it  known  unto  you  that  we  are  not  keeping 
them  here,  nor  preventing  them  from  going  to  you. 

Their  going,  or  not  going,  are  both  alike  (to  us).  Why  do 
they  not  go  ? 

(Signed)  Gordon  Pasha. 

Date,  23  Zu'l  Kader. 
15th  Sept.,  1884. 

APPENDIX  B. 

Letter  from  George  Calamantino. 

Kartoum,  10th  September,  1884. 
Mr.  N.  Leontides  and  B.  Georgopulo. 
Accept  our  salutes. 

I  beg  (beseech)  you  on  behalf  of  myself  and  that  of 
the  other  fellow-countrymen  of  mine,  of  Kordofan  and  Dar- 
four,  to  try  and  induce  by  any  means  Mr.  Gordon  for  me  to 
be  permitted  to  see  him,  as  it  is  of  great  need  and  of  good  to 
yourselves  and  of  the  Government  my  entering  Kartoum  ;  and 
if  Mr.  Gordon  is  not  satisfied  (with  the  news  I  propose  to  com- 
municate to  him),  let  him  imprison  me  and  prevent  me  going 
out  again.  If  he  permits  my  entering,  do  send  me  a  European 
suit  (of  clothes),  but  if  he  does  not,  then  send  out  a  Greek  to 
meet  me  ;  there  is  no  fear  whatever  of  his  doing  so,  and  he 
may  go  back  at  once.  I  am  waiting  for  a  reply  close  to  the 
entrenchments. 

Your  friend, 

George  Calamantino. 


His  Excellency  Gordon  Pasha, 

I  beg  you  to  give  me  permission  to  enter  into  Kartoum, 
because  I  have  important  matters  in  regard  to  all  the  Euro- 
peans who  are  slaves  with  the  Prophet.  If  you  are  not  dis- 
posed to  let  me  return,  I  should  be  disposed  and  content  to 
remain  with  your  Excellency. 

George  Calamantino. 


Arabic  Encampment  at  Kartoum. 
Sept.  10th,  1884. 
His  Excellency  Gordon, 

I  beg  you  to  accept  my  most  cordial  respects.  It  dis- 
pleases me  that  you  are  irritated  ;  I  hope  to  see  you  in  better 
moments,  and  I  hope  soon  for  a  favourable  issue.  Health  to 
all  and  my  respects  to  you. 

G.  Cuzzi. 


APPENDICES.  377 

Answered. 

Received  your  letter,  asking  to  come  to  Kartoum,  to 
tell  me  important  matters  concerning  all  Europe.  I  do  not 
want  to  see  you. 

10/9/84.  C.  G.  G. 

'  APPENDIX   C. 

For  these  letters  see  Appendix  A^. 


APPENDIX   D. 

Copy  of  the  answer  written  by  the  Ulema  undersigned,  to  the  Sheikh 
Abdel  Kader  Ibrahim,  and  to  the  son  of  En  Najoomi,  dated  2'&rd 
Zu'l  Kadi,  1301. 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Merciful  and  Compassionate,  the 
Destroyer  of  him  who  is  obstinate  against  His  religion.  Bless- 
ing and  peace  be  on  our  Lord  Mahomed  and  his  successors, 
who  have  established  the  foundations  and  the  solid  pillars  (of 
the  faith). 

God  has  sent  down  ^  in  His  glorious  book,  through  which 
Cometh  nothing  false,  neither  in  its  direct  teaching  nor  in 
what  may  be  deduced  therefrom.  This  has  been  sent  down 
by  the  All  Wise  and  All  Worthy  of  Praise  (saying),  This  day 
have  I  completed  ^  your  religion  for  you,  and  I  have  per- 
fected unto  you  My  grace,  and  have  granted  unto  you  Islam 
as  (your)  religion  ;  which  is  the  last  verse  sent  down  to  the 
Chosen  One  (Mahomed).  After  this  let  no  one  heed  any 
saying  or  accept  any  act  which  is  not  dictated  in  the  Book  or 
the  Soouna.  But  if  there  had  been  any  (fresh)  Revelation  on 
which  reliance  could  be  placed  for  superseding  any  law  of  the 
(established)  laws  of  Islam,  it  would  involve  accusing  the 
precious  Book  of  lying  ;  for  after  completion  no  new  thing 
can  be  added. 

Moreover,  it  has  been  unanimously  agreed  that  (anything 
claiming  to  be)  a  revelation  of  the  prophet,  on  whom  be  bless- 
ing and  peace,  if  its  sense  differ  from  the  Law,  that  revela- 
tion is  not  to  be  acted  upon,  but  must  be  set  aside  ;  and  it  is 
one  of  the  absolute  conditions  of  him  who  contends  (for  the 
faith)  that  he  should  not  violate  the  unanimous  agreement, 
that  he  who  utters  the  double  confession  (of  faith  in  God  and 
the  prophet)  has  (thereby)  secured  safety  for  his  life  and  his 
property,  unless  by  the  Law  (right)  of  Islam  as  is  written  in 
the  Hadith  ;  *  and  this  Law  (right)  of  Islam  has  been  defined 

2  The  Moslems  say  that  the  Koran  was  sent  down,  every  word  of  it, 
by  the  Angel  Gabriel  to  Mahomed. 

8  This  verse  is  considered  to  be  the  completion  of  God's  final  Revela- 
tion through  Mahomed. 

4  The  Hadiths — the  authorised  traditional  sayings  of  Mahomed  and 
those  brought  down  by  Gabriel. 


378  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

in  the  whole  of  the  true  Hadiths  (namely)  that  breach  of 
chastity  and  murder  are  contrary  to  Law  (right)  and  (con- 
stitute) apostacy  from  Islam.  And  among  apostates  (is  he) 
who  forsakes  his  religion  and  causes  schism  in  congregation  as 
is  (found)  in  the  Hadiths. 

Now  this  pretender  to  the  office  of  Mahdi  is  causing  schism 
in  the  congregation  and  has  broken  the  staff  (unity)  of  Islam, 
and  has  ruined  the  abodes  of  the  Moslems,  plundered  their 
property,  dishonoured  their  women,  and  made  some  tyrannize 
over  others,  as  is  in  accordance  with  their  apostacy,  because 
they  have  made  lawful  the  killing  of  the  faithful,  the  dis- 
honour of  their  women,  and  the  plunder  of  their  property, 
and  calling  them  Kafirs  (infidels)  A\dthout  cause,  though  these 
are  observing  (or  defending)  the  laws  of  religion,  and  walk- 
ing in  the  firm  road  (way  of  truth)  ;  moreover,  the  majority 
of  his  followers  are  sorely  troubled  by  what  they  have  seen  of 
slaughter,  infamy,  pillage,  and  taking  of  captives,  nor  are 
they  with  him  body  and  soul  (heartily),  the  proof  of  which  is 
that  only  a  few  days  passed  before  some  of  them  came  to 
seek  assistance  from  the  Government  against  oppression,  fam- 
ine, and  nakedness. 

A  number  of  letters  have  come,  some  of  them  from  you, 
in  which  are  a  number  of  erroneous  statements,  wherein  the 
Sheikh  el  Akbar  says  that  the  Most  High  God  has  appointed 
for  the  Mahdi  a  divine  host  of  Ministers  (Vizirs),  whom  God 
has  reserved  for  him  in  the  depths  of  His  secret  councils  ;  He 
has  revealed  them  declaring  and  witnessing  about  the  Crea- 
tion, and  that  which  God  has  commanded  for  His  servants  ; 
also  that  the  Mahdi  does  nothing  except  by  their  counsel ;  and 
that  they  are  Persians  (foreigners),  not  one  of  them  is  an 
Arab,  yet  they  speak  nothing  but  Arabic  ;  that  they  have  a 
chief,  Hafiz,  who  is  not  of  their  race,  who  has  never  at  all 
rebelled  against  God  ;  he  is  the  chief  of  the  Vizirs.  Their 
number  does  not  exceed  nine,  nor  is  it  less  than  five.  To 
every  six  there  is  a  Vizir,  who  has  special  knowledge  and  func- 
tions.    Here  ends  the  quotation.^ 

But  where  are  these  foreign  Vizirs,  and  that  one  among 
them  who  professes  that  he  is  an  Arab  ?  and  what  about  their 
excess  above  that  number  ? 

And  with  all  this  you  accuse  us  Ulema  of  error  from  the 
way  of  truth,  and  say  that  you  know  what  others  do  not 
know  ;  whereas,  between  you  and  him  that  has  even  the  very 
least  knowledge,  there  is  a  very  wide  gulf. 

And  in  those  letters  you  address  His  Excellency  the  Gover- 
nor-General (Gordon)  as  Saadat,^  and  yet  they  contain  accusa- 

5  In  Arabic  writiiiir  quotation  marks  are  not  used,  but,  at  the  end  of 
the  quotation,  they  append  the  words,   "End  of  his  words." 

6  Saadat —  "  Felicity  "  — is  used  as  a  title  of  honour,  and  cannot,  of 
course,  be  properly  used  for  one  who  is  a  Kafir  and  under  Divine  wrath. 


APPENDICES.  379 

tlons  of  his  being  a  Kafir  (infidel).  Is  not  this  to  use  terms 
which  contradict  each  other  ? 

In  them  you  also  say  that  the  certain  proof  as  to  this  being 
indeed  the  Mahdi,  the  Expected  One,  on  whom  be  peace,  was 
accepted  by  you  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  manifestation, 
and  forbids  you  to  receive  letters  or  to  reply  to  them. 

Also  in  some  of  your  letters  you  say  that  you  have  been 
among  the  number  of  his  Vizirs  for  the  last  thirty  years.  How 
is  this  after  what  you  wrote  lately  under  your  seal  to  your 
Sheikh  el  Abeed,  that  whoever  believes  that  this  Mahomed 
Achmet  is  the  Mahdi  must  needs  be  a  Kafir  (infidel),  because 
there  has  not  come  any  Hadith,  or  revelation,  or  Athar,  but 
sh(3ws  to  all  the  world  the  true  nature  of  this  man  ;  therefore 
to  believe  in  him  would  involve  giving  the  lie  to  him,  on  whom 
be  blessing  and  peace,  who  is,  above  all,  worthy  to  be  believed. 

Here  is  contradiction.  Since  your  love  of  the  world  has 
actually  perverted  you  even  into  saying  of  him,  "  Peace  be  on 
him."''     ('Alaihy  es  salaam.) 

But  the  Prince  ^  (of  the  faith),  Abd  el  Ghani,  the  Nablusi, 
said  in  his  book,  the  Hadik  en  Nadih,  the  commentary  on  the 
Mahomedan  religion,  No  one  ought  to  be  distinguished  by 
the  salaam  (after  his  name)  excepting  the  prophets,  for  one 
cannot  say,  Ali,  on  whom  be  peace  (salaam)  ;  and  this  rule 
applies  both  to  living  and  dead  alike,  excepting  that  a  person 
present  may  be  addressed  thereby,  for  people  say,  Peace  be 
upon  thee.     Here  ends  the  quotation. 

You  have  pretended  that  the  coming  of  the  Imam  the  Mahdi, 
the  Expected  One,  is  proved  for  us  and  for  you  in  the  an- 
cient books,  and  that  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  incline  unto  us, 
and  that  the  hostility  of  the  Ulema  against  the  Imam  the  Mahdi 
and  their  giving  the  lie  to  him  are  both  proved  and  men- 
tioned in  the  ancient  books,  and  you  call  the  attention  of  the 
Ulema  to  the  book  Keshef  el  Ghummah  'anjamia'  el  nmmah  of 
Shakrani.  But  here,  if  you  meant  this  for  the  ignorant  who 
do  not  know  the  ancient  books  or  Keshef  el  Ghummah,  that 
might  do,  for  there  is  not  in  all  the  aucient  books  any  refer- 
ence or  allusion  which  concerns  or  points  to  any  Mahdi.  Nay, 
it  has  been  denied  by  the  greatest  men  as  being  unsupported  by 
any  Hadith  or  testimony,  and  it  originates  with  the  Shiahs, 
who  pretend  that  our  Lord  Mohammed,  son  of  the  Hanafiyeh, 
will  appear,  and  also  his  father  'Ali,  in  the  clouds.  But,  if  we 
admit  the  sayings  which  seem  to  prove  that  there  will  be  a 
Mahdi,  where  is  the  Khorassaui,  brother  of  him  who  is  ap- 
pointed Mahdi,  who  is  to  prepare  the  way  for  him  before  his 

T  "  Peace  be  on  him  "  (on  whom  be  peace),  the  usual  formula  of  salu- 
tation to  a  true  believer  if  alive,  and  used  of  prophets  when  their  names 
are  mentioned. 

8  Prince  of  the  Faith  —  literally,  axis  or  pole. 


380  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

appearing  ?  and  where  is  the  Safiyau  who  was  to  be  king  be- 
fore him  ?  and  where  is  the  arm  which  was  to  appear  with  the 
hand  pointing  (as  if  to  direct)  —  This  is  the  Mahdi ;  follow 
him  ?  And  where  is  the  dwindling  of  the  Euphrates  display- 
ing the  mountain  of  gold  ?  Or  have  you  found  in  him  the  to- 
kens revealed  by  the  prophet  of  God,  on  whom  be  blessing  and 
peace,  that  the  Malidi  will  not  disturb  any  who  is  sleeping,  nor 
will  he  shed  blood.  But  there  are  proofs  to  you  and  to  all  that  he 
has  shed  blood,  and  has  disturbed  sleepers  to  so  great  an  extent 
that  you  have  made  bold  to  say  that  he  will  destroy  all  gov- 
ernments. Now  if  what  is  said  about  him  and  what  you  tell 
us  about  him  (be  true),  what  would  be  the  fruit  of  joy  and  fa- 
vour to  those  who  submit  to  him,  since  the  end  is  destruction  ? 
Now  the  old  books  still  exist.  Produce,  thei-efore,  some 
one  who  can  show  iis  wliat  you  have  asserted,  for  we  have 
found  no  trace  of  your  assertions  as  you  have  set  them  forth, 
especially  because  it  is  known  to  everybody  who  knows  this 
man  who  pretends  to  be  Mahdi  that  he  has  neither  tribe  nor 
relations  of  illustrious  origin,  and  the  tribe  of  which  he  comes 
is  very  small  indeed,  nor  is  it  (strong  enough)  to  give  victory 
in  any  matters  of  religion  to  him  who  may  come  forth  from  it  ; 
and  as  to  his  standing  alone  and  separate  from  any  family, 
which  you  have  put  forward  as  indicating  the  validity  of  his 
claim,  that  in  truth  is  a  notable  proof  of  its  worthlessness  ;  for, 
as  the  learned  Imam  Ibn  Khaldoon  said  in  his  preface,  of 
which  we  extract  a  literal  copy  and  send  it  to  you  herewith, 
from  which  you  will  learn  that  he  is  not  justified  in  his  claim, 
and  that  the  religious  mission  without  (the  support  of)  family 
will  not  abide,  for  every  matter  of  public  concern  absolutely 
needs  (the  suj^port  of)  family  ;  and  a  following  and  mob  of 
ignorant  folk  cannot  be  called  family  ;  but  (the  support  of) 
family  consists  in  ancestry  and  kindred,  in  whom  support  is  to 
be  found.  Let  not  his  pretension  deceive  you  in  that  he  says 
he  is  of  the  house  (of  the  prophet),  for  this  is  not  known  or 
proved  amongst  people  of  position.  But,  if  that  were  granted, 
have  you  seen  with  him  any  of  the  kmdred  of  the  prophet  who 
help  him  to  victory  ?  The  whole  of  his  arguments  in  favour 
of  his  claim  (establish)  the  contrary,  and  his  proofs  and  evi- 
dences are  such  as  decide  against  the  truth  of  his  claim.  And 
if  you  had  looked  with  the  eye  of  justice,  and  followed  the 
right,  you  would  not  have  believed  in  this  pretension,  or  have 
called  on  people  to  respond  to  it,  while  threatening  them  with 
death,  pillage,  and  more.  But  it  was  your  duty  to  advise  ^  the 
Moslems,  and  not  to  take  up  arms  against  them.  Have  ye  not 
read.  He  who  kills  a  believer  intentionally  merits  Jehennam 
everlastingly,  and  the  wrath  of  God  and  His  curse  are  upon 

J  The  argument  here  rests  upon  the  duty  of  avoiding  force  in  dealing 
with  brother  Moslems,  and  of  using  persuasion  only. 


APPENDICES.  381 

him,  and  great  torment  is  reserved  for  him  ?  Or  (have  you 
read)  the  Hadith,  He  who  has  borne  arms  against  us  is  not 
of  us  ?  Or  the  command  of  the  prophet,  on  whom  be  bless- 
ing and  peace  (who  says),  In  killing  [a  Moslem]  he  has  broken 
the  staff  (unity)  of  the  Moslems,  for  their  interests  are  one  ? 
And  the  Hadith,  The  believer  is  brother  to  the  believer;  he 
may  not  opjjress  him  or  betray  him  ?  And  the  Hadith,  One 
believer  is  to  another  like  (the  stones  of  a)  building  ;  they  sup- 
port one  another  ?  Then  he,  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace 
(in  so  saying),  clasped  his  hands  (locking  the  fingers  together 
by  way  of  illustration). 

Also  the  Hadith,  He  is  a  believer  to  whom  people  have  con- 
fided their  pro2)erty  and  their  lives,  and  he  has  accomplished 
the  Hegira  who  flees  from  sin  and  transgression.  The  be- 
liever is  the  mirror  of  the  believer,  and  the  believer  is  brother 
to  the  believer  who  shelters  him  from  harm,  and  protects  him 
from  his  pursuers  ? 

Also  the  Hadith,  Whoever  casts  a  look  upon  his  brother 
believer  to  terrify  him  unjustly,  God  will  terrify  him  in  the 
day  of  Resurrection  ? 

Also  the  Hadith,  The  believers  are  as  one  man.  If  he  ac- 
cuse his  head,  he  accuses  the  whole  body  ;  and  if  he  accuse 
his  eye,  he  accuses  the  whole  (body)  ? 

Also  the  Hadith,  The  (true)  Moslem  is  he  from  whose  hand 
and  tongue  Moslems  are  safe,  and  the  believer  is  he  to  whom 
people  have  confided  their  blood  (life)  and  their  property  ? 

We  have  looked  at  the  preface  of  Keshef  el  Ghummah,  and 
found  that  the  author  said  in  it  :  The  prophet,  on  whom  be 
peace,  announced  to  me  that  this  book  will  remain  until  the 
appearance  of  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  and  his  follow- 
ers will  profit  by  it,  and  by  it  will  be  able  to  dispense  with  the 
advice  of  the  Mahdi  in  most  matters  of  religion,  for  when  he, 
on  whom  be  peace,  is  come,  he  will  do  away  with  contradic- 
tions and  differences  of  opinion  on  the  earth,  so  that  in  his 
days  there  will  remain  none  but  the  pure  faith,  and  the  body 
of  the  Ulema  of  his  day  will  be  secretly  hostile  to  liim. 

But  there  is  not  foiuul  in  it  that  the  Ulema  err  from  the 
way  of  truth,  but  (there  is  found)  they  are  to  be  excused  for 
their  thought  when  they  see  him  differing  in  doctrine  from  the 
doctrine  of  their  Imams  on  account  of  their  conviction  that 
there  is  no  authority  above  the  authority  of  their  Imams  ;  yet 
they  would  submit  to  him  for  fear  of  his  power,  and  through 
coveting  the  wealth  he  possesses,  for  he  and  the  prophet  are 
brothers,  and  no  one  will  oppose  him  but  will  fail. 

Also  in  the  Hadith  (it  is  fonnd)  that  they  (?  he)  -will  fol- 
low the  steps  of  the  prophet,  blessing  and  peace  on  him  ;  he 
will  be  infallible,  and  he  will  not  decree  as  to  what  is  lawful  or 
unlawful  excepting  as  he,  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace,  would 


382  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

have  decreed  if  he  had  been  alive.  He  will  not  surpass  any  of 
their  Imams  in  knowledge  and  thought  in  the  least.  This  is 
what  ought  to  be  acted  upon,  and  this  as  regards  him  who  has 
attained  such  a  degree  of  profound  knowledge  (of  religion) 
that  he  has  arrived  at  differing  (ventures  to  differ),  though  the 
Imams  are  against  him. 

But  your  Imam  has  not  attained  this  degree  of  profound 
knowledge,  for  he  knows  nothing  of  the  six  sciences  on  per- 
fection, on  which  this  profound  knowledge  depends.  Besides 
which,  he  has  forsaken  the  axioms  which  are  among  the  essen- 
tials of  religion. 

But  the  Sha'arani  himself,  from  whose  book  you  quote  as 
guide,  has  said  in  his  book  El  Yawakeet  w'el  Jowakir  ("  Rubies 
and  Jewels  "),  that  the  Mahdi  is  to  be  son  of  Hassan  el  Askari, 
and  his  birth  will  be  in  the  night  of  the  middle  of  Sha'aban, 
two  hundred,  fifty  and  five,  and  he  remaineth  until  he  meets 
Jesus  the  Son  of  Mary.  (Sha'arani)  said,  "  Thus  was  I  in- 
formed by  Sheikh  Hassan  el  Ar'aki  when  I  met  with  me,  and 
my  lord  Ali  el  Khowas  confirmed  the  same." 

End  of  the  quotation. 

Now  if  his  birth  was  in  the  year  two  hundred  fifty  and  five, 
and  he  is  to  be  appointed  Mahdi  as  a  youth,  as  is  found  in  the 
Hadiths,  and  (seeing  that)  since  then  one  thousand  and  forty- 
six  years  have  passed,  while  the  age  of  your  Imam  does  not 
amount  to  the  tenth  part  of  those  years,  how  can  you  quote  the 
evidence  of  Sha'arani  on  your  side,  and  convict  us  of  error  by 
him,  while  he  is  quite  clear  in  (saying)  that  which  contradicts 
this  pretension  ?  Whereas  if  he  (the  Mahdi)  had  laid  claim  to 
sovereignty,  that  would  have  been  more  agreeable  to  his 
(Sha'arani's)  saying  :  He  has  made  his  claim  because  the  peo- 
ple followed  him.  For  the  Governor-General  here  does  not 
prevent  any  one  from  going  to  him  or  to  any  one  else,  but  the 
roads  are  open  to  all  who  please  ;  notwithstanding  which  the 
people  do  not  cease  to  come  in  crowds  and  crowds,  desiring  the 
protection  of  his  government  ;  and  he  protects  them,  and  is 
beneficent  to  them,  and  provides  for  them  ;  whereas  it  is  just 
the  opposite  with  those  who  go  to  you,  even  the  envoys.  And 
if  you  doubt  this,  stop  the  seizing  of  booty  and  the  killing  of 
deserters,  and  pillage  after  fighting,  and  see  after  that  who 
will  follow  you.  For  without  doubt  there  are  those  who  do 
so  under  compulsion,  and  are  distressed  thereat,  and  wrongly 
imagine  that  this  is  from  the  Turkish  Government.  But  now 
we  and  you  are  here  in  the  Soudan,  and  there  is  not  one  here 
of  the  Turkish  Government.  If  you  were  to  come  to  Kar- 
toum  j'ou  wotdd  not  find  a  Turk.  Why  then  is  this  war  ?  Is 
it  for  the  ruin  of  religion,  for  the  slaughter  of  Moslems,  for  the 
overthrow  of  houses  and  mosques,  for  the  burning  of  the  books 
of  the  religion  of  Islam,  and  the  killing  of  the  Ulema,  or  to 


APPENDICES.  383 

close  the  way  against  the  pilgrimage  of  the  Hajj  (to  Mecca)  ? 
And  this  is  (your)  Mahdi's  work  ! 

Now,  because  it  has  been  declared  in  the  Sahbeehh  that  reli- 
gion is  sincerity  to  God  and  His  prophet,  and  His  Imams  the 
Moslems  and  their  people,  we  have  written  this  unto  you,  in  the 
hope  that  you  ^\^ll  understand  it,  and  vnW  act  accordingly  before 
you  are  hemmed  in  by  the  evil  of  your  deeds.  And  as  to  this 
business,  since  its  close  and  end  are  close  at  hand,  we  remind 
you  thereof,  and  if  that  which  we  have  enlarged  upon  is  not 
sufficient  for  you,  then  let  your  Ulema  and  your  notables  come 
to  examine  the  matter  in  a  place  where  both  parties  will  feel 
secure.  For  there  is  the  Book  and  the  Soonna,  and  let  them 
bring  about  union  between  us,  and  God  will  guide  whom  He 
will,  and  cause  to  err  whom  He  will.  But  if  this  does  not 
commend  itself  to  you,  —  although  it  is  enjoined  in  the  saying 
of  the  Most  High,  If  you  should  differ  in  anything,  submit  it 
to  God  and  His  Prophet,  if  ye  be  believers  in  God  and  in  the 
last  Day  ;  —  (then)  attend  to  our  proposal  and  come  :  let  us 
call  our  sons  and  your  sons,  and  our  wives  and  your  wives,  and 
ourselves  and  yourselves,  and  consult,  and  lay  the  curse  of 
God  upon  the  liars. 

And  be  not  misled  by  that  which  you  have  mentioned  about 
the  slaughter  of  Moslems  in  Kordofau,  and  in  the  engage- 
ment with  your  Sheikh  el  Abeed,  for  this  is  nothing  in  com- 
parison with  what  happened  to  the  Moslems  in  the  raid  of 
Tithar  and  the  slaughter  of  Xebuchadnezzar  in  the  Holy 
House,i°  and  the  destruction  thereof,  and  the  war  of  Tamer- 
lane, and  others  beside,  which  are  written  in  the  books,  as  will 
be  understood  on  referring  to  them  ;  also  in  the  last  war,  in 
which  were  martyred,  by  the  Beni  el  Asf  ar,^^  a  number  of  Mos- 
lems past  counting.  And  after  the  great  wars  and  destruction 
of  countries,  the  Moslems  have  not  seen  any  result  injurious  to 
the  faith.  Was  not  the  Caaba  overthrown  by  the  engines  of 
war  ?  Were  not  the  Imam  Hussein  and  his  family  slain  at 
Kerbela  ?  Now,  if  all  this  proves  that  he  who  conquers  has 
right  on  his  side,  why  then  did  you  not  follow  the  conquering 
government  which  subjugated  the  Moslem  countries  ? 

Moreover,  as  to  the  two  engagements  you  have  mentioned, 
and  those  who  were  killed  in  them,  some  of  tliem  were  killed 
by  thirst  and  some  by  treachery.  And  it  is  well  known  that 
war  resembles  the  buckets  (ou  a  wheel  like  see-saw  ;  one  up, 
the  other  down). 

We  are  ashamed  to  reply  to  the  foolish  comparison  you  draw 
about  the  raid  of  Badr  and  that  of  Ohod,  as  we    are  also 

1"  The  arf^iiment  here  is  thai  true  believers  are  sometimes  killed, 
though  in  tlie  rijihr,  as  the  Israelites  were  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 

11  "Yellow -haired  Greeks,"  the  ancient  phrase  here  applied  as  "Chil- 
dren of  the  Yellow  (race),"  the  yellow-haired  Russians  being  meant. 


384  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

ashamed  to  reply  to  your  Imam,  who  places  on  a  level  with  the 
righteous  Khalifs  those  weak  (miserables),  poor  in  faith,  who 
are  like  brute  beasts,  and  even  more  ignorant.  Were  we  te 
answer  that,  it  would  take  too  long,  wherefore  we  lay  hold  of 
the  reins  of  our  pen  and  stop  it  from  running  in  that  Maidan 
(race-course). 

And  God  will  direct  in  the  right  way. 
Signed  and  Sealed  :  — 

MoosA  Mahomed,  Mufti  of  the  Mejlis  of  Kartoum. 
Sheikh   el   Emin  Mahomed,    President   and   distin- 
guished one  (Primus)  of  the  Ulema  of  the  Soudan. 
Shakir  Effendi,  Mufti  of  the  Court  of  Appeal  of  the 

Soudan. 
Sheikh  Hussein  el  Madhi,  Professor  of  Science  at 

the  Mosque. 
Mahamed  Khowajli,  Supreme  Kadi  of  the  Soudan. 

Zu'L  Kadi,  23rd,  1301.       I 
September  14th,  188i.  j 


APPENDIX  E. 
Endorsed  :  — 

"  Letter  from  Faki  Mustapha  to  Cassim  el  Mousse,  Meletof  Shaggyehs. 
No  seal  to  it." 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Merciful  and  Compassionate,  the 
bountiful  Ruler. 

Blessing  upon  our  lord  Mahomed,  and  on  his  successors, 
and  peace. 

From  the  servant  of  his  Lord  (without  Whom  he  has  no 
strength),  the  Fakeer  of  God,  Alihmed  el  Mustafa  the  humble 
theologian,  faithful  to  Mohammed,  to  the  beloved  and  virtu- 
ous Cassim  el  Mousse,  the  Melek  (king),  whom  may  God  ever 
preserve. 

After  wishing  you  abundance  of  peace,  I  greatly  desire  (to 
see)  you.  May  God  never  separate  me  from  you,  or  deprive 
me  of  you.  And  it  is  well  known  to  your  honour  that  after 
seeing  you,  and  (after)  your  enlisting  in  our  ranks  (in  faith), 
besides  the  previous  friendly  ties  which  draw  us  nearer  to  each 
other,  that  we  have  been  very  anxious  about  you,  and  still  think 
of  you  night  and  day  ;  and  more  especially  when  you  were  in 
Baghshuda,  and  as  was  believed,  near  tlie  Imam,  on  whom  be 
peace.  Until  (we  heard  that)  the  Most  High  God  has  deliv- 
ered you  in  His  mercy  and  goodness  ;  and  when  you  came  to 
this  town,  inhaliited  by  oppressors.  And  (when)  it  was  the 
will  of  God  that  thou  shouldst  enter  into  this  town,  our  anxi- 
ety about  thee  increased  on  account  of  what  we  know  of  the 
power  of  the  Mahdi,  which  no  Government  can  withstand. 


APPENDICES.  385 

And  when  a  party  of  his  enemies  were  destroyed,  we  made 
inquiries  as  to  those  who  were  slain,  being  anxious  (feeling 
compassion)  for  thee. 

And  we  pray  to  the  most  High  God,  publicly  and  privately, 
to  deliver  thee  ont  of  it  (the  city)  in  safety.  And  when  we 
heard  that  yon  had  departed  from  it  to  the  Halfai,  we  returned 
thanks  to  God  for  the  sake  of  your  children  and  of  our  children, 
(both)  for  your  safety  and  for  your  departure  from  among 
them.  Praises  be  to  God  for  this.  We  declare  to  you,  0 
Beloved  !  that  as  to  truth  (of  the  mission)  of  this  Mahdi, 
(that)  our  being  in  his  service  is  sufficient  for  you,  if  you  be- 
lieve in  us.  Do  not  pay  attention  to  the  Ulema  of  Kartoum, 
who  pretend  that  Gordon  is  right,  whilst  he  is  the  most  deter- 
mined of  enemies  to  those  who  believe  in  the  glorious  Koran. 
But  it  was  predicted,  before  his  appearing,  that  the  Ulema 
would  be  hostile  to  him  and  that  he  would  kill  them.  Also 
that  the  nobles  Avould  be  hostile  to  him  and  that  he  would  fight 
them,  and  kill  some  of  them,  even  (if  they  took  sanctuary) 
under  the  curtains  of  the  Kaaba  (at  Mecca). 

And  this  man  is  that  very  Mahdi  who  will  perform  those 
deeds.  And  as  soon  as  Ave  were  convinced  of  the  truth  of  his 
mission,  we  arose  and  submitted  unto  him.  We  left  off  study 
of  the  glorious  Koran,  and  the  (public)  prayers  on  Fridays, 
and  laid  hold  of  him,  because  he  is  the  unfailing  support 
(==  rock,  a  phrase  applied  to  God).  We  have  not  ceased  to 
think  of  you,  and  when  you  were  in  Kartoum  we  tried  to  get 
the  safe  conduct,  and  we  obtained  it,  for  yourself  and  for  your 
property  and  your  children  and  your  wives  and  all  your  fol- 
lowers —  explicit,  sealed,  and  signed,  and  beyond  chance  of 
fraud  or  pretence.     God  is  my  witness  in  what  I  say. 

I  tried  to  get  that  good  tidings  into  the  town  to  you,  but 
could  not  find  the  way,  till  God  heard  my  prayers  and  did  not 
disappoint  my  hopes  concerning  you,  so  that  your  wife  and 
her  mother  came  to  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  and  I 
obtained  their  safe  conduct. 

I  am  most  deeply  anxious  about  you  lest  you  should  be 
(imprisoned)  again  with  those  people,  whose  ways  God  hath 
straitened  (who  are  in  difficulties),  for  the  Imam,  the  Mahdi 
himself  (on  whom  be  peace),  has  arrived  at  Schatt  fifteen 
days  ago.  And  he  has  honoured  us  these  two  days  by  writing 
(from  him). 

If  it  is  in  your  power  to  bring  away  with  you  all  you  have 
of  arms  and  ammunition  and  ships  (steamers),  meet  us  with 
them  —  that  will  obtain  for  you  great  honour  in  the  sight  of 
the  Imam,  and  of  his  honourable  followers  ;  but  if  not,  God 
will  not  require  of  any  man  more  than  he  is  able  to  do  (quota- 
tion from  the  Koran).  Then  come  by  yourself,  and  if  you 
leave  behind  you  any  property  do  not  mind  it,  for  you  will 


386  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

obtain  that  at  the  conquest  (of  the  city)  without  diminution. 
Be  not  ti'oubled  as  to  what  has  happened  between  you  and  the 
Fakeers  in  the  East.  It  is  a  small  matter,  considering  the 
indulgence  of  the  Imam,  on  whom  be  peace.  What  you  did 
will  not  be  accounted  as  misdeeds  compared  with  the  misdeeds 
of  Salehh  Lik  when  he  killed  the  Yakoobat,  and  plundered 
their  property  ;  and  the  sons  of  the  Mukatify,  and  plundered 
their  property,  and  took  their  children,  although  they  were 
noble.  In  spite  of  all  that,  he  is  nearer  than  any  other  man 
to  the  Imam,  who  has  forgiven  him,  and  given  him  full  pardon. 

Do  not  take  account  of  what  you  have  done,  but  come  out 
to  ns  secretly,  if  not  openly,  that  we  may  convince  you  of 
the  truth  (genuineness)  of  the  Mahdi,  by  whom  in  His  mercy 
God  has  strengthened  our  weakness.  But  beware  of  delay, 
for  I  fear  that  after  his  arrival  here  yon  will  not  find  the  way 
(ojien)  to  come  to  us,  nor  will  our  entreaties  avail. 

Do  not  heed  the  ignorant  talk  of  the  Ulema  of  Kartoum,  or 
to  the  pretences  (ideas)  of  people  who  heed  carnal  things 
rather  than  sacred.  Wherefore  God  has  sealed  their  hearts  so 
that  they  do  not  know.  They  are  (foolish)  like  ostriches,  yea, 
they  are  inferior  (to  them). 

Oh,  my  beloved,  come  by  yourself  —  or  with  those  who  are 
*with  thee  if  thou  canst  —  but  beware  !  —  beware  of  delay.     I 
warn  you  earnestly  against  going  back  to  Kartoum  after  God 
has  brought  you  out  from  thence. 

Hasten  to  iis  that  we  may  help  you  before  it  be  too  late. 

The  time  of  the  Turks  is  over.  The  rope  (line)  of  their 
dominion  is  cut  (severed),  and  what  God  has  cut  cannot  be 
mended.  Do  not  hang  upon  (attach  yourself  to)  that  which 
has  been  cut,  and  which  is  declared  by  the  chosen  (people)  of 
God  to  be  indeed  cut ;  as  was  declared  by  His  projDhet,  on 
whom  be  peace. 

Now,  according  to  what  we  know  of  your  intelligence  and 
knowledge  (we  say),  do  not  be  misled  by  the  changes  of  this 
life, — for  the  days  are  few.  (It  is  only  for  a  time.)  Peace 
be  with  yon. 

(Signed)  The  Fakeer  of  God, 

Ahhmet  el  Mustafa, 
The  theologian,  the  faithful  one  of  Mohammed. 
I  have  no  seal. 

Dated  19  Zu'l  Kadi,  1.301. 
September  10,  1884. 

Postscript.  —  I  inform  yon  that  Gordon  and  the  Ulema  of 
Kartoum  have  had  one  of  their  mails  captured  in  Metemma 
by  a  one-eyed  man,  named  Mahomed  Ahhmed  —  (going)  to 
the  Governor-General  of  Egypt  (?  Cairo). 

But  as  to  Gordon's  letters,  he  says  in  them  that  he  and 
those  with  him  will  perish  if  they  are  not  reinforced  within 


APPENDICES.  387 

these  two  months,  as  they  are  in  want,  and  have  nothing  left 
in  their  hands  but  Kartoum  only. 

The  Slim  of  55,000  guineas  at  Berber  has  been  taken  by  the 
Fakeers,  and  the  letter  of  the  Kartoum  people  tells  hun  that 
they  have  been  lost. 

From  this  it  is  evident  to  you  that  there  is  no  help  for  them. 
Therefore  do  not  remain  with  them  with  your  family.  The 
wise  man  looks  after  himself. 

(Signed)  Ahhmet  el  Mustafa. 

Same  date. 

You  will  receive  an  answer  to  his  honour  Ahhnied  Bek  Ali 
Jallab  secretly  sent  to  him,  and  hand  his  answer  to  bearer. 
Peace  (to  you). 

Same  date. 

APPENDIX  £1. 

A  Proclamation  from  Gordon,  addressed  to  the  people  of 
Kartoum,  preceded  his  arrival.  He  told  them  that,  knowing 
of  the  general  regret  caused  by  the  severe  measures  of  tlie 
Government  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  traffic,  and  the 
seizure  and  punishment  of  all  concerned,  according  to  conven- 
tion and  decree,  he  had  resolved  that  none  should  interfere  with 
their  property,  and  that  henceforth  whoever  had  slaves  should 
enjoy  full  right  to  their  service,  and  full  control  over  them. 
Wlien  the  terms  of  this  document  reached  Europe,  a  storm  of 
indignation  was  raised  against  both  the  law  and  the  giver.  Its 
terms  were  greeted  as  an  insult  to  the  honour  of  England,  and 
as  a  A^olation  of  all  the  traditions  of  philanthropy.  Few  paused 
to  consider  who  was  the  author  of  the  concession,  few  to  con- 
sider what  that  concession  meant  ;  almost  all  were  as  ready 
with  their  blame  as  but  a  short  while  before  they  had  been 
prodigal  of  their  praise.  The  implacable  enemy  of  slavery  was 
now  its  friend,  and  in  the  name  of  England  had  declared  his 
change  of  front.  What  would  the  world  say  to  this,  and  what 
could  England  say  to  the  man  who,  however  exceptional  his 
character  and  career,  had  thus  misrepresented  her  ? 

Perhaps  this  proclamation,  in  Europe  the  motive  of  so  mnch 
silliness  and  ill-feeling,  did  more  than  anything  else  towards 
enabling  Gordon  to  win  Kartoum.  From  the  moment  it  reached 
the  town  the  attitude  of  the  iidiabitants  changed  ;  sidlen  apathy 
was  converted  into  joyful  expectation,  and  thousands  who  had 
been  ready  to  welcome  the  Mahdi  became  eager  to  show  hom- 
age to  Gordon,  It  was  altogetlier  a  brilliant  diplomatic  con- 
ception, the  work  of  a  man  who  thoroughly  understood  the 
character  of  the  people  whom  he  addressed.  It  restored  to 
those  people  rights  of  which  they  had  been  robbed,  and  which 


388  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

they  were  now  in  a  position  to  regain  for  themselves  whenever 
they  would.  Yet  in  the  sample  gift  of  what  was  already  theirs 
lay  the  opportunity  of  avoiding  nnich  bloodshed  and  misery  — 
an  opportunity  which  Gordon's  insight  into  national  character- 
istics enaltled  him  to  understand,  and  his  rapidity  of  action 
enabled  him  to  grasp.  By  the  treaty  of  1877,  the  Soudanese 
were  permitted  to  hold  their  slaves  until  the  year  1889  ;  and 
this  treaty  was  made  when  Egypt  had  no  notion  of  relinquishing 
her  possession  of  the  country.  Yet  it  was  known  to  be  useless, 
as  its  conditions  could  never  have  been  carried  out.  The 
avowed  object  of  Gordon's  mission  to  the  Soudan  was  to 
remove  the  Egyptians,  and  to  hand  it  back  to  its  own  children, 
an  operation  which  in  itself  involved  the  permission  to  hold 
slaves  for  ever.  Had  Gordon  said,  "  I  come  to  concede  you  the 
Soudan,  which  is,  when  I  leave,  to  be  governed  as  you  wish, 
but  after  1889  you  must  not  hold  slaves,"  the  Soudanese,  and 
the  whole  of  Europe,  would  have  thought  him  mad  ;  but  as  he 
said,  "I  come  to  concede  to  you  the  Soudan,  which  is,  when  I 
leave,  to  be  governed  as  you  wish,  so  that  you  will  have  the 
right  to  hold  sLives  as  long  as  you  like,"  it  was  only  the  Sou- 
danese who  were  able  to  see  the  sense  and  value  of  the  con- 
cession, and  to  call  its  author  mad  was  a  privilege  reserved  for 
certain  European  philanthropists. — The  Story  of  Chinese  Gordon, 
pp.  70-73.  v.  ii. 

APPENDIX  F. 

PlUVATE. 

From  the  Mudirof  Kartoum  to  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan, 

[This  Report  was  made  by  H.  E.  Hussein  Pasha,  Mudir  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Aloob  in  Kordofan,  and  it  remained  passing  from  hand  to 
hand  among  the  rebels  till  we  heard  of  its  existence.  We  demanded 
it,  and  received  the  following  copy,  which  I  transmit  just  as  it  is.] 

On  Saturday,  2nd  of  Moharram,  1301,  was  accomplished  the 
arrival  of  the  detachment  of  troops  in  the  vicinity  of  Aloob, 
which  is  near  the  government  seat  of  Kordofan,  by  the  will  of 
the  Creator. 

On  inspection  of  them  (the  troops)  it  was  found  that  they 
had  suffered  from  excessive  thirst  and  the  not  finding  sufficient 
proper  drinking  water  for  the  detachment,  on  account  of  the 
loss,  six  days  before,  of  the  guide  who  was  appointed  to  lead 
the  way,  and  on  account  of  ignorance  of  the  places  where 
drinking  water  was  to  be  found. 

The  consequence  of  which  was  to  throw  the  square  into  a 
state  of  confusion,  to  the  extent  that  privates  could  not  recog- 
nise their  companies  nor  officers  their  men.  The  transport  also 
was  scattered  —  I  mean  that  the  animals  were  scattered  singly 


APPENDICES.  389 

(without  control).  It  was  then  that  Monsieur  Hicks,  com- 
mander of  the  detachment,  ordered  the  men  and  officers  to 
collect  in  order.  But  as  one  of  the  commanding  officers  of  the 
detachment  disobeyed,  he  referred  the  matters  to  All  ed  Deen 
Pasha,  to  see  to  bringing  the  detachment  into  order.  But  his 
Excellency  answered  him  that  he  himself  was  the  commander, 
and  responsible.  The  consequence  of  which  was  to  cause 
uiiiversal  weakness  and  paralysis.  We  met  a  body  of  troops 
and  were  all  surrounded  in  one  place,  and  on  account  of  what 
I  have  said  —  and  for  want  of  water  until  Sunday,  as  we  did 
not  find  enough  to  last  till  then  —  and  thus  it  was  impossible  to 
escape  destruction. 

But  oh,  alas  for  the  Government  authorities  !  ^^  who  are 
(themselves)  secure  from  danger.  But  if  the  will  of  the  Most 
High  God  has  ordained  our  death  (so  far)  delayed,  it  will  be 
from  thirst  and  not  from  anything  else. 

I,  the  writer  of  this  report,  am  called  Hussein  Pasha,  Mudir, 
an  officer  of  the  Home  Government  in  the  army,  a  native  of 
Egypt  —  one  of  those  raised  from  the  ranks  ;  and  I  adjure  you 
by  God,  who  (may)  see  what  I  have  written,  (if)  you  are 
believers  in  God  and  his  prophet,  that  yon  will  make  this  known 
to  the  Government  authorities. 

The  will  of  God  be  done,  and  there  is  no  escape  from  the 
decree  of  God,  Who  hears  and  knows  all  things.  May  your 
life  be  prolonged. 

Written  Friday,  19  September,  1884,  8  o'clock  12  minutes. 

Marked  in  the  corner  77. 


APPENDIX  G. 

Letter  from  General  Gordon  to  Ibrahim  Abd-el-Kader,  Kadi  of 
Kalakla. 

This  moment  we  have  received  a  letter  from  the  General  of 
the  English  troops,  (stating)  that  the  English  troops  who  ar- 
rived in  Dongola  have  killed  the  Fakih  (theologian)  El  Huda 
and  the  Shareef  Mahhmood,  who  was  sent  from  Mohamet 
Achmet  for  the  blockade  of  Dongola  —  and  they  have  (also) 
killed  all  the  dervishes  who  were  with  them  ;  and  they  are 
marching  straight  on  Berber  ;  and  that  the  steamers  we  sent 
last  week  have  arrived  at  Berber  and  found  it  jierfectly  deso- 
late and  empty.     They  entered  it  and  seized  the  two  steamers 

'2  The  intention  of  the  writer  seems  to  be  to  convey  reproach  of  tlie 
Government  authorities  in  Cairo,  who  were  responsible  fortiic  fate  of  the 
army  and  his  own  desperate  condition.  But  lie  seems  unwillin<j  to  utter 
a  word  inconsistent  with  Moslem  resij^mation  or  the  loyalty  of  a  soldier, 
though  the  detachment  to  which  he  belonged  had  been  exposed  to  de- 
struction. 


390  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

wliieh  were  lyiug  there.  And  (the  General  states)  that  Ma- 
homet el  Khair  tied  from  them,  and  that  before  this  he  had 
deluded  the  people  and  told  them  to  come  to  him  to  meet  the 
army  ready  for  Berber  ;  some  of  them  would  not  go,  but 
some  of  them  went  to  him,  and  when  they  asked  him  for  their 
expenses  he  sent  them  to  an  empty  room  to  take  the  cash. 
When  they  found  no  cash  there  he  told  them  that  it  was  in 
the  posessionof  a  Jin  (demon).  They  were  astonished  at  this. 
But  when  they  found  that  the  wliole  thing  was  deceit  from  be- 
ginning to  end  they  returned  to  the  places  whence  they  came. 
Now,  because  you  are  one  of  our  old  friends,  and  because  the 
brotherhood  between  us  is  a  fact  known  to  all  people,  we  send 
you  this  news  which  we  received  seven  days  ago  ;  and  now  we 
have  very  greatly  strengthened  the  defences  of  Kartoum  and 
its  mines.  We  are  now  preparing  an  earthquake  by  means  of 
electricity,  and  I  fear  for  you  on  its  reaching  your  place  ;  nor 
do  we  wish  you  to  be  among  the  others  (when  it  takes  effect). 

Tell  the  son  of  Najoomi  and  Abu  Kerjali  to  go  to  Dongola. 
It  is  better  for  them  ;  and  later  on,  when  we  are  arranging 
matters,  we  will  make  them  Sultans. 

Do  not  say  that  Kartoum  is  starving,  or  eating  dogs  and 
asses.  I  swear  that  such  provisions  are  not  to  be  found  with 
you  as  are  to  be  found  in  Kartoum  —  both  eatables  and  drink- 
ables. We  do  not  desire  your  immediate  submission  to  the 
Government,  lest  Mohamet  Achmet  should  suspect  you  ;  nor 
should  we  wish  you  to  obey  Mohamet  Achmet,  but  that  you 
should  remain  neuter  until  you  see  what  will  happen.  As  I 
know  that  you  need  soap  for  washing  your  faces,  I  here  send 
you  a  small  box  of  that  wherewith  we  wash  our  faces. 

JSalute  the  son  of  Najoomi  from  me,  and  tell  him  (that)  to- 
day there  came  to  us  a  man  from  your  side,  like  a  peacock, 
from  the  quantity  of  coloured  patches  ornamenting  his  mantle, 
so  that  the  inhabitants  were  astonished  at  liim. 

A  letter  from  the  Ulema  to  Mohamet  Achmet  is  also  sent  to 
you.     Please  forward  it  to  him  safely. 

30th  of  Zu'l  Kadi. 

Sept.  21,  188i. 

APPENDIX  K. 

From  x\.bd  el  Kader  Ibrahim,  Kadi  of  Kalakla,  to  General  Gordon. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Merciful  and  Compassionate. 

Praise  be  to  God  the  bountiful  Ruler  —  with  blessing  on  our 
lord  Mahomet,  and  peace. 

From  the  servant  of  his  lord  Abd  el  Kader  Ibrahim  —  the 
Kadi  of  Kalakla  to  Gordon  Pasha. 

Three  times  have  we  warned  you,  sufficiently  for  people  who 
have  sense  ;  and  all  on  account  of  your  friendship  for  us,  of 
which  you  spoke  in  your  letter. 


APPENDICES.  391 

This  was  for  your  safety  and  for  the  safety  of  the  poor  and 
of  the  Moslems  who  are  with  you  in  the  city.  But  neither 
our  warnings  nor  our  arguments  have  taken  eil'ect  upon  you. 

You  write  to  us  every  time  that  you  are  steadfast  in  deny- 
ing (the  mission  of)  this  Imam  the  Mahdi,  on  wliom  be  peace. 

But  nothing  has  led  you  to  this  false  conclusion  except  the 
enmity  between  the  Moslems  and  the  infidels  —  and  the  say- 
ings of  the  wicked  Ulema  who  are  with  you  at  Kartoum,  as 
well  as  the  love  of  supremacy  and  of  this  life  —  and  the  de- 
sire to  continue  therein.  O  delusion !  delusion  !  (go  to  !  go 
to!) 

But  know  that  all  that  thy  informants  have  told  thee,  and 
of  which  thou  hast  told  us,  is  false  ;  for  had  there  been  any- 
thing in  it  we  were  better  informed  than  (any  such  things 
taken  place  we  had  better  opportunities  for  knowing  it  than) 
thou  ;  because  the  post  and  (other)  communications  pass  by 
night  and  by  day  in  all  parts  (of  the  country)  which  has  sub- 
mitted to  the  Mahdi,  upon  whom  be  peace.  And  if  such  things 
as  you  mentioned  were  to  happen,  that  would  not  weaken 
his  title  to  be  Mahdi.  But  the  Imam  the  Mahdi,  upon  whom 
be  peace,  is  victorious  ;  and  beyond  all  doubt  he  will  destroy 
all  rebels  and  hypocrites,  although  he  were  left  alone  in  the 
world  without  a  man  with  him,  as  has  been  proved  by  evi- 
dence and  by  eye-witnesses. 

Such  communications  as  you  send  do  not  please  the  hearts 
of  the  auxiliaries  (of  the  Mahdi)  —  especially  of  their  Emirs  — 
for  by  God,  they  are  firmly  resolved  and  determined,  and 
every  one  of  them  comes  and  goes  (being)  willing  to  die  ;  and 
they  are  not  afraid  of  threats  by  word  or  deed.  But  under  all 
circumstances  they  trust  in  God.  For  this  Mahdi  is  right. 
English  troops  or  chemicals  (electricity)  or  stores  of  ammuni- 
tion will  not  avail  against  the  Mahdi.  What  will  avail  (you) 
is  to  return  to  the  truth  and  cast  away  what  is  false  ;  and  for 
all  to  submit  and  siu'render  to  this  Imam,  upon  whom  be 
peace. 

There  is  no  deliverance  or  safety  excepting  in  him  ;  and  if 
you  really  have  friendship  for  me,  as  you  say,  listen  to  my 
words  and  benefit  by  them,  and  surrender  yourselves,  with  the 
Moslems,  —  otherwise  the  day  will  soon  come  when  you  will 
learn  who  has  been  the  greatest  liar. 

As  to  the  box  of  soap  sent  by  your  messenger,  it  has  reached 
US,  and  here  we  send  it  back  to  you  rejected  ;  because  your 
sending  back  tlie  present  of  the  Imam  the  Mahdi  —  upon  whom 
be  peace  —  compels  us  to  return  your  present.  And  how  could 
we  do  otherwise  than  return  it,  when  you  sent  back  the  present 
of  tlie  Vicegerent  upon  Earth  of  God,  and  His  prophet,  upon 
whom  be  blessing  and  peace  ?  Whereas  acceptance  of  a  pres- 
ent promotes  good-will. 


392  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

In  fine,  this  letter  now  (last)  sent  has  done  nothing  but  in- 
crease the  ill-will  ;  for  if  you  and  the  people  of  the  city  had 
known  the  facts  about  the  auxiliaries  of  the  Imam,  upon  whom 
be  peace,  who  are  now  (in  arms)  against  and  around  the  city, 
you  would  not  liave  written  this,  but  you  would  simply  have 
surrendered  —  if  so  be  that  God  wills  your  safety  and  that  of 
those  that  are  with  you. 

This  is  my  advice  to  you.     (Surrender.) 

God  is  the  guide  into  all  truth,  and  unto  Him  all  return  and 
submit. 

(Signed)  Abd  el  Kader  Ibrahim. 

Written  last  dav  of  Zii'l  Kadi,  1301. 
Sept.  21,  1884. 


APPENDIX   L. 

From  Abderrahhman  en  Najoomi  and  Abdallah  en  Noor  to 
Gordon  Pasha. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  merciful  and  compassionate. 
Praise  be  to  God  the  bountiful  Ruler,  with  blessing  on  our 
lord  Mahomed  and  his  successors,  and  on  whom  be  peace. 

From  the  servants  of  their  Lord  Abderrahhman  en  Na- 
joomi and  Abdallah  en  Noor  to  Gordon  Pasha,  representative 
of  England  and  of  the  Khedive.  May  God  guide  him  into 
truth.    Amen. 

We  have  to  state  to  you  that  as  to  thy  presence  in  the 
Soudan  this  last  time,  aud  thy  first  letter  to  the  Imam  the 
Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  and  as  to  thine  appointment  by 
the  Khedive  ;  the  Imam  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  has 
written  to  thee,  aud  has  shown  thee  the  truth  in  leading  thee 
to  God  ;  and  also  that  which  concerns  thy  salvation  and  that 
of  those  with  thee,  and  how  tkou  mayest  attain  salvation  in 
this  world  and  in  the  next. 

Thou  hast  replied  to  his  Highness  (in  a  manner)  contrary 
to  that  (which  was)  expected  (of  thee),  i"ejeeting  the  truth, 
whether  for  or  against  thee.  After  we  arrived  with  our  hosts 
to  fight  thee  and  drive  thee  into  subniission  —  willingly  or 
unwillingly  —  the  Imam,  out  of  compassion  for  thee  and 
those  with  thee,  a  second  time  exhorted  thee  to  surrender  to 
the  command  of  God  and  His  prophet,  and  gave  thee  the 
covenant  (in  the  name)  of  God,  and  His  promise  that  if  thou 
didst  surrender  thou  shouldst  be  (assured  of)  safety,  with  thy 
children,  thy  property,  and  all  that  thou  hast,  (thus)  securing 
to  thee  the  same  (privileges)  as  to  us,  and  the  same  (duties) 
as  are  required  of  us. 

You  have  received  that  letter  of  his  by  his  messengers  the 
Moslems  whom  he  appointed  from  thence  to  advise  thee,  after 


APPENDICES.  393 

onr  arrival  in  this  (desert)  Deem.  But  neither  you  nor  those 
with  you  have  accepted  the  call  (wherewitli)  God  and  His 
prophet  have  called  you. 

You  answered  as  you  did  to  our  lord,  and  you  demanded  a 
thing  of  Abd  el  Kader  Ibrahim,  when  el  Jaber  the  Moslem 
came  (to  thee),  (who  was)  one  of  the  messengers  sent  to  thee 
for  negotiation  —  (but)  thou  didst  send  hiui  back.  Yet  we 
had  sent  him  to  thee  in  our  intention  for  good  and  in  our 
good-will  towards  thee  and  towards  those  with  thee.  And  we 
wrote  to  you  the  advice  which  reached  you.  Nevertheless,  you 
did  not  listen  to  the  truth  nor  accept  it  —  because  the  will  of 
God  must  be  accomplished. 

We  had  therefore  resolved  not  to  correspond  any  more  with 
you,  nor  to  communicate  with  you  excejit  by  the  sword  and 
such  like  weapons,  until  we  have  destroyed  your  glory  and 
your  strength  departs  (from  you),  and  we  pluck  you  out  by 
the  roots  when  we  seize  you  in  our  grasp.  However,  yester- 
day your  messenger  arrived  with  a  letter  from  you  to  our 
brother  Abd  el  Kader  Ibrahim,  in  which  you  deceitfully 
counsel  him  and  try  to  seduce  him  from  his  religion,  and  in 
which  you  tell  him  to  desire  us  and  Aboo  Kerja  to  go  to  the 
Dar  el  Gharb  (West)  (as  being)  better  for  us  —  because  when 
you  are  arranging  matters  you  will  make  us  Sultans.  But 
every  man  of  sense  knows  that  all  things  are  in  the  power  of 
God  and  not  in  your  liand,  nor  in  that  of  those  who  appointed 
you,  nor  in  that  of  the  English,  on  whom  you  depend.  And 
you  lie  unto  the  people  with  you  about  their  arrival  (the 
English)  at  Dongola,  and  about  their  killing  Sheikh  Ahhmed 
el  Huda  and  the  Shereef  Mohammed  ;  and  that  they  were 
going  straight  to  Berber  ;  and  that  Mahomed  el  Khair  ^^  the 
Emir  of  Berber  ran  away  from  them,  and  made  fools  of  the 
men  with  him  when  they  asked  him  for  their  pay.  As  to  your 
promise  of  making  us  Sultans  when  you  settle  the  affairs  of 
the  country  as  stated  in  your  letter,  and  your  statement  that 
the  steamers  sent  last  week  by  you  had  found  Berber  desolate 
and  deserted,  and  that  the  two  steamers  found  there  had  been 
captured,  we  have  learned  from  this  letter  of  yours  that  the 
steamers  you  sent  did  not  seize  anything  at  Berber  except 
only  the  steamers,  and  it  is  known  to  all  the  world  that  the 
Moslems  captured  a  quantity  of  Governuiont  stores  which 
were  in  Berber.  But  you  do  not  mention  having  seized  any 
of  them  —  only  the  steamers. 

Lying  does  not  become  a  Pasha  such  as  you. 

And  we  received  the  day  before  yesterday  a  letter  from 
Mahomed  el  Khair  telling  us  that  he  was  on  the  shore  —  both 
east  and  west  —  ready  to  fight  your  steamers.     And,  please 

13  The  latest  accounts  from  tho  Soudan  state  that  Ibn  en  Najoomi 
has  quarrelled  with  Mahomed  el  Khair  on  account  of  his  peculations. 


394  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

God,  they  (the  steamers)  with  the  guns,  will  not  go  back  to 
you  a  second  time.  But  the  last  will  overtake  (redeem)  the 
first,  and  you  will  not  hear  of  them  again.  We  did  not  think 
that  with  your  intelligence  and  your  knowledge  that  God  has 
strengthened  us  in  His  earth,  you  would  have  told  us  lies  or 
tried  to  frighten  and  deceive  us,  and  those  who  are  with  us,  by 
talking  of  things  (already  better)  known  to  us,  and  of  which 
we  have  constant  information,  (receiving)  news  day  and  night 
from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

And  you  seem  to  have  chosen  for  us,  that  we  should  go 
back  to  the  West  (Dar  el  Gharb)  ;  trying  to  deceive  and  mis- 
lead us  through  desire  for  the  life  of  this  world,  and  (as 
though)  we  covet  (the  dignity)  of  being  Sultans  and  (to  have) 
dominion.  But  we  call  upon  thee  to  come  to  God  and  His 
prophet,  and  to  follow  the  right  faith, 'and  to  reject  the  re- 
ligion in  which  thou  art,  and  to  adopt  the  religion  of  our 
prophet  Mahomed,  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace  ;  and  the 
fellowship  of  his  Khalif  Mahomed,  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be 
peace.  If  thou  wilt  do  this  thou  shalt  have  honour  in  this 
world  and  in  the  next. 

Otherwise,  if  thou  dost  still  look  forward  to  the  coming  of 
the  English,  who,  as  thou  pretendest,  have  reached  Dongola, 
and  are  going  to  Berber,  know  for  certain  and  be  sure  — 
and  accept  the  advice  we  give  thee  on  the  subject  —  that  all 
the  Soudan  country,  except  Khartoum  and  the  towns  of  Sen- 
naar  and  Dongola,  is  all  of  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Mahdi,  and 
in  the  possession  of  his  honourable  friends.  From  the  ex- 
treme border  of  the  Soudan  to  Suakin,  and  to  Reef,  no  one 
shares  with  them  (in  the  possession  thereof). 

The  Government  who  sent  thee  as  Governor-General  does 
not  possess  a  single  handbreadth  of  ground. 

The  English  came  several  times  to  Suakin.  They  were 
killed  (fought)  by  one  of  the  lieutenants  there  —  Oshman 
ibii  Aboo  Bekr  Digna  —  who  has  captured  all  their  armies  and 
the  booty  thereof. 

Therefore,  look  to  thy  own  safety  elsewhere  without  (re- 
lying on)  them,  and  prepare  thyself  for  what  may  happen  to 
thee  before  their  arrival.  For  the  whole  English  Govern- 
ment (nation)  could  not  pass  by  way  of  Suakin  or  Dongola. 
But  even  if  the  English  were  to  come,  God  would  kill  them 
by  the  hand  of  His  faithful  before  they  (could)  reach  you. 
Know  that  the  Imam  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  has  sent 
us  for  the  sole  express  purpose  of  fighting  thee  and  as  advance- 
corps  to  prepare  the  way  of  his  army  and  of  his  Highness. 

But  whereas  thou  hast  been  appointed  Governor  on  behalf 
of  two  eminent  governments — and  as  thou  sayest  that  thou 
hast  come  to  arrange  the  affairs  of  the  Soudan  —  thou  wilt 
not   find  a  better  opportunity  for  carrying  out  thy  intention 


APPENDICES.  395 

and  desire  successfully  than  (now)  in  these  two  daj^s  before 
the  arrival  of  the  whole  army. 

But  if  thou  and  those  with  thee  in  the  town  delay  — 
awaiting  the  English  —  till  after  the  arrival  here  of  the  whole 
army  and  the  noble  presence  (of  the  Mahdi)  you  will  be 
disappointed  in  your  hope  and  desire.  Therefore  it  (will  be) 
much  better  for  thee  to  collect  all  thy  forces  and  come  out  to 
meet  us  beyond  the  fortifications,  from  which  we  are  but  an 
hour  distant. 

Then  thou  and  thy  men  may  attain  your  wish,  and  go  back 
to  your  fortress,  happy  in  having  fought  us.  But  if  thou  dost 
delay  until  the  arrival  of  the  whole  army  and  of  the  noble 
presence,  we  are  certain  that  you  will  not  then  think  of  fighting 
or  of  hoping  to  possess  (conquer)  any  more. 

It  can  therefore  only  be  your  excessive  fear  of  us  which  pre- 
vents your  coming  out  and  fighting  us.  Soon,  please  God,  thou 
and  those  wdth  thee  will  be  in  our  grasjj,  and  will  taste  the  sore 
evil  (result)  of  your  unwillingness  to  follow  the  way  of  God. 

Know,  oh  !  Excellency  Gordon,  that  whereas  thou  hast  said 
in  thy  letter  to  Abd  el  Kader  Ibrahim  that  thou  wast  dili- 
gently working  in  preparing  an  earthquake,  and  didst  fear  for 
him  when  it  should  reach  him,  that  thy  saying  is  nonsense, 
unworthy  for  an  intelligent  being  to  utter. 

Has  the  Earth,  indeed,  brought  out  to  thee  her  demons 
(for  thy  service)  ? 

Thou  hast  tried  to  frighten  him  by  sapng  that  thou  wast 
coming  out  thyself  to  fight  and  kill  us,  and  didst  order  liim  to 
leave  us.  But  this  (coming  out  to  fight)  would  have  pleased 
us  better. 

The  eartli  is  (become)  too  straight  for  thee,  wide  though  it 
be,  and  thy  ways  (of  escape)  are  cut  ofi:'.  Look  out  for  thyself 
(to  find)  way  of  escape  from  the  judgments  (vengeance)  of 
God  and  of  His  prophet.  For  we  have  thee  by  the  hair  of 
the  head,  through  the  power  of  God  and  his  will. 

As  to  the  ansv/er  sent  by  the  Ulcma  to  the  Imam  the  Mahdi, 
on  whom  be  peace,  we  have  sent  it  by  a  special  messenger  to 
be  placed  in  his  hands.  But  do  not  thou  rely  on  the  lies  they 
tell  in  it,  because  since  the  reply  which  they  sent  by  Jaber  the 
Moslem,  in  which  they  denied  in  tlie  strongest  terms  (the 
validity  of  the  claim  of)  the  Mahdi,  they  sent  messengers  and 
letters  to  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  apologizing  for  what 
they  wrote  to  him,  and  for  what  they  may  (in  future)  write, 
making"  oath  to  liim  that  they  are  comjielled  by  you  to  utter 
these  things  for  fear  of  their  life,  and  (only  do  so)  pending  the 
arrival  of  his  noble  presence,  and  they  pray  liim  not  to  have 
any  ill-will  against  them  for  what  they  may  say. 

If  thou  hast  sense,  do  not  regard  what  they  write,  but  have 
it  sent  through  you. 


396  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Aud  whatever  you  may  find  to  your  interest  and  for  the 
prolongation  of  thy  dominion,  about  which  thou  art  deluded, 
and  from  which  thou  shalt  soon  depart,  please  God,  do  it  with- 
out their  advice  or  counsel,  for  all  they  show  thee  is  only  de- 
ceit, till  they  (can  become)  master  of  their  opportunity  to  join 
the  Imam  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace. 

As  to  the  favour  which  God  has  granted  to  Sheikh  Ahhmed 
el  Huda  and  Shereef  Mahmood  and  the  faithful  ones  with 
them  to  die  as  martyrs,  that  is  the  ultimate  object  (of  desire) 
for  all  followers  of  the  Imam  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace, 
and  what  they  have  promised  him  (to  do),  and  what  they  pray 
God  may  honour  them  (in  granting  to  them). 

We  pray  God  to  grant  us  the  favour  He  has  accorded  to 
them,  aud  to  bestow  on  us  the  honours  of  martyrdom,  pleasant 
in  His  sight.  And  we  continue  in  prayer  to  God  to  make  us 
among  His  beloved  ones  honoured  by  Him  with  martyrdom. 
For  He  has  the  power  to  do  this,  and  to  Him  it  appertains  to 
hear  (prayer). 

What  we  have  said  is  enough.  God  has  the  guidance  in  His 
hand. 

(Date  and  Seals  cut  off.) 

[The  length  of  these  letters,  and  the  persuasions  used,  even  the  great 
sheet  of  paper  and  the  writing  of  the  letters,  testify  to  the  great  respect 
in  which  General  Gordon  was  held. 

The  subterranean  earthquake  or  mine  — to  be  produced  by  chemicals 
or  electricity  —  is  mentioned  in  this  letter  in  reply  to  the  mention  made 
in  General  Gordon's  former  letter.  These  chiefs  do  not  believe  he  could 
do  such  a  work  except  by  aid  of  demons  or  Jins. 

Where,  in  exhorting  General  Gordon  to  surrender,  they  point  out  his 
critical  condition,  and  use  the  phrase,  "  We  have  thee  by  the  hair  of  the 
head,"  this  is  in  allusion  to  the  conqueror's  hold  upon  a  prostrate  foe 
(by  the  one  lock  of  hair  which  Moslems  have  on  their  heads),  just  at  the 
last  moment,  when  the  sword  is  uplifted  to  slay.] 


APPENDIX  M. 

Letter  from  General  Gordon  to  the  Honourable  the  Sheikh  Abderrahh- 
man  en  Najoomi. 

Yesterday  we  wrote  to  you  (as  to)  the  arrival  of  the  Eng- 
lish troops  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Merowe,  and  to-day  also 
we  have  received  letters  from  the  troops,  and  herewith  we 
send  you  a  specimen  of  the  correspondence  ;  and  although  it 
is  very  minute,  we  have  read  it  with  a  magnifying  glass.  But 
you  must  open  your  eye:?  well  that  you  may  yourselves  see  its 
minute  letters.  English  troops  have  arrived  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Merowe  ;  ten  regiments,  infantry,  cavalry,  and 
artillery,  and  the  rest  are  behind  them  in  Dongola  and  Wady 
Haifa.  (We  are  informed)  that  the  Mudir  of  Dongola  has 
killed  the  Fakir  (Theologian),  Ahhmed  el  Huda,  and  the  She- 


APPENDICES.  397 

reef  Mahmood,  wbo  is  the  uncle  of  Mahomed  Achmed,  sent 
from  Kordofan.  Every  one  of  their  host  was  destroyed. 
Other  information  has  reached  us  by  special  messenger  from 
Berber,  that  our  steamers  have  entered  and  are  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  the  army. 

Before  now  we  announced  in  one  of  our  proclamations  issued 
to  the  inhabitants  after  our  arrival,  that  we  had  rejjeatedly 
advised  the  people  to  give  up  (their  rebellion)  but  they  did 
not  return  (to  allegiance)  and  that  we  should  be  obliged  to 
bring  English  troops  to  this  country  to  chastise  the  rebellious 
and  bring  them  to  submission.  But  I  suppose  you  considered 
these  words  to  be  lies  until  this  army  arrived  near  to  Berber, 
(an  army)  which  no  strength  of  theirs  could  withstand. 

A  few  days  ago  we  sent  you  notice  to  go  to  Kordofan  and 
remain  there,  and  that  we  would  make  you  one  of  the  Sultans 
of  the  West.  You  had  better  listen  to  this  advice  and  go  with 
your  men  and  be  happy  Avith  them,  obeying  your  Sultan  Ma- 
homed Achmed. 

Information  has  reached  us  that  you  have  made  contracts 
with  the  Arab  sheikhs  for  bringing  provisions  upon  their  cam- 
els, (for)  about  1000  camels,  and  (that)  the  sheikhs  received 
from  you  a  quantity  of  ready  money  for  buying  provisions,  and 
ran  away  from  you.  All  the  Soudan  soldiers  hate  you  and 
have  come  to  us  ;  but  if  we  are  bad,  as  you  imagine,  these 
soldiers  would  not  have  followed  us. 

Mahomed  Achmed  informs  us  that  he  ordered  Aboo  Kerjah 
to  convert  us  to  his  faith,  but  this  fellow  understands  drinking 
Merissa  ((.  e.  date-beer)  better  than  any  one  else,  and  we  think 
he  may  teach  us  Merissa-drinking. 

Please  God,  the  soap  we  sent  yesterday  to  Sheikh  Abd-el- 
Kader,  to  wash  his  face  with,  may  be  found  like  (as  good  as) 
the  towel  which  Mahomed  Achmed  sent  to  Mr.  Costi  (Cuzzi) 
Moosa  to  wipe  his  face  with.^^ 

The  guns  we  fired  yesterday  were  (in  rejoicing  at)  news  of 
the  coming  army. 

Therefore  the  first  and  best  thing  (for  you  to  do)  is  to  con- 
sider the  news  sent  you  herein  enclosed,  and  arise  and  go  back 
to  your  places  with  whatever  you  have  of  guns  and  such  like, 
as  the  air  is  bad  here.  But  Sheikh  Ibrahim  Abd-el-Kader  may 
remain  in  his  place,  as  his  home  is  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Kalakla,  and  as  he  is  one  of  our  friends  and  an  owner  of  crops 
in  this  district. 

But  if  you  do  not  listen  to  this  advice,  one  of  these  days 
you  will  arise  in  the  morning  and  find  yourselves  in  a  tremen- 
dous earthquake.^^ 

14  Query —  Does  this  refer  to  a  veil  such  as  dervishes  wear,  which  was 
sent  to  a  renegade  by  the  Mahdi  ? 

15  Reference  is  here  made  to  the  earthquake  mentioned  in  a  former 
letter,  as  being  prepared  by  Gordon. 


398  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

As  for  the  cannon  you  fired  at  us  yesterday,  they  killed 
about  20,000  of  our  soldiers,  so  tliat  we  were  altogether  tired 
out  with  burying  the  dead,  and  this  is  as  war  should  be. 

After  writing  this  we  received  your  last  letter,  and  as  you 
do  not  accept  the  advice,  remain  where  you  are  with  Sheikh 
Abd-el-Kader  as  jou  now  are. 

Gordon  Pasha  in  Kartoum.        (Signed)     C.  G.  Gordon. 

Date  2nd  Zu'I  Hejjeh,  1301. 
Aug.  24,  1884. 


(On  the  back  of  General  Gordon's  letter.) 
Reply  to  General  Gordon. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Merciful  and  the  Compassionate. 

From  Abderrahhman  en  Najoomi  and  Abdallah  en  Noor  to 
Gordon. 

Yesterday  we  sent  you  an  answer  to  your  letter  brought  to 
us  by  your  messenger,  who  is  going  back,  in  whicli  we  told  you 
to  come  out  of  the  fortress  to  meet  us  in  fight  before  the  arri- 
val of  the  standards  (troops)  sent  to  us  from  the  Imam  Ma- 
homed, the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  as  we  are  now  near  to 
you  —  within  eyesight.  And  (as)  probably  you  will  not  have 
another  opportunity  after  these  two  days.  But  you  have  not 
done  so. 

Even  to-day  we  have  received  your  letter  and  proclamation, 
both  sealed  and  signed  by  you,  which  are  not  satisfactorj'  an- 
swers to  our  letter.  But  you  put  in  them  nonsense  —  like  unto 
dreams. 

But  we  are  better  informed  than  you ;  for  the  hands 
(power)  of  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  are  over  the  whole 
world  ;  and  he  receives  news  from  all  parts  thereof. 

We  are  not  inside  a  fortress  listening  to  the  sayings  of 
hypocrites,  who  run  away  like  slaves,  and  the  like  —  on  whose 
authority  you  issue  lying  and  deceitful  proclamations. 

You  mention  in  your  answer  '^^  that  you  have  received  a 
letter  from  the  troops  ;  but  on  looking  at  it  we  find  (that  it  is) 
a  proclamation  from  you,  with  your  own  seal,  and  not  from 
the  army. 

How  can  you  say  so,  and  contradict  yourself  ?  From  this 
we  learn  that  all  your  sayings  are  lies.  And  after  this  let 
there  be  no  more  letters  or  communications  between  us  and 
you  ;  but  (only)  war. 

The  proclamation  is  enclosed  (returned). 

(Signed)     Abderrahhman  kn  Najoomi, 
Abdallah  en  Noor. 
[This  letter  is  without  any  of  the  usual  forms  of  civility  at  the  top,  and. 
is  addressed  simply  "To  Gordon,"  without  any  title,  and  on  the  back  of 
his  own  letter.     It  is  also  written  high  up,  near  the  top  of  the  sheet,  as 
from  a  superior  to  one  greatly  his  inferior.] 

18  Evidently  a  wrong  enclosure  had  been  put  iu  by  General  Gordon. 


APPENDICES.  399 

APPENDIX  N. 

Letter  from  Lieut. -Colonel  Stewart,  C.  M.  G.,  to  General  Gordon. 
Island  of  El  Hassa  Ileya,  4  miles  scntli  of  Berber, 

14th  September,  1884. 
My  dear  General, 

You  will  no  doubt  be  surprised  at  our  not  having  yet 
passed  Berber,  but  the  fact  is,  we  had  several  vicissitudes  the 
first  couple  of  days.     You  know  already  what  happened  the 
first  day,  how,  through  tlie  ignorance  of  the   captain  and  the 
Reis,  we  ran  into  the   bank    and  damaged  our  wheel.     The 
second  day  the  captain  ran  us  on  to  a  mud  bank,  where  we 
stuck  for  four  hours,  and  were  with  difiiculty  got  off  by  the 
Saphia.     Tliis  was  too  much  for  my  patience.     I  am  sorry  to 
say  I  lost  my  temper  and  rather  severely  handled  the  individ- 
ual, turned  him  out,  and  put  the  second  in  command  ;  on  the 
11th  we  passed  safely  through  the  Shoboloha  defile.     We  saw 
the  broken  end  of  the  telegraph  cable  which  is  to  the  south  of 
the  defile.     Anchored  for  the  night  opjiosite  the  village  of  Oni 
Ghirka,  and  on  the  right  bank,  at  a  small    cultivated  island 
inhabited   by  Shaggych,  whose   chief  is  Bab  Bekr  el  Mek,  a 
brother  of  Cassim  el  Mousse.     His  people  received  us  very 
well  ;  supplied  us  with  all  the  wood  they  could  get.    The  chief 
came  on  board,  complained  greatly  of  the  dervishes,  but  said, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Shaggychs,  all  the  tribes  were  wholly 
with   the  Mahdi.     I  enclose  a  letter  which  he  has  written  you. 
He  begs  j'ou  will  send  soldiers,  rifles,  etc.,  when  he  will  openly 
declare  himself  for  the  Government.     So  far  as  I  am  able  to 
judge,  the  Shaggyehs  are  strong  for  the  Government.     At  the 
Shaggyeh  villages  we  passed,  the  people  all  showed  their  joy 
at  our  appearance  by  dancing  and    shouting.      The  villages 
were  all  along  the  right  bank.     The  left  bank  was  sullen,  if 
not  openly  hostile.     Bab  Bekr  reported   that  a  boat  full  of 
dervishes   had  been   recently  up  the  river,  collecting  tithes  ; 
the  Fascher   steamer   also  appears  to  come  up  now  and  then. 
The  Arabs  also  appear  to  have   received  news  of  our  expedi- 
tion.    During  that  night  war  drums  were  being  beaten  on  the 
left  bank.     On  the  12th  we  received  some  shots  from  the  left 
bank,  and  about  mid-day  halted  at  a  Shaggyeh   island  for  an 
hour  or  so,  where  we  got  some  wood.     The  people  were  again 
friendly.     Beyond  this  island  we  got  into  the  Djaalen  country. 
Passed  Metemma,  where  we  saw  crowds  of  people  and  several 
flags  ;  were  fired  on,  but  distance   too  great  to  do  any  harm. 
Soon   after   reached    Shendy.     Here  we  were   also   fired  on. 
The  Government  house  has  been  loop-holed,  and  there  is  a 
small  breast- work  wall  in  front  of   it.     The   Saphia  threw 
a  couple   of  shells  into  the  town.     Saw  a  man  with  a  letter 
making  signs  to  us,  so  stopped  a  little  below  the  town,  but  he 
did  not  come  on.     Halted  again  at  an  island  and  looted  the 
village  on  it  ;  killed  a  lot  of  cattle  and  pulled  the  houses  and 


400  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Sakkeyes  clown.  We  were  again  fired  on  from  the  left  bank, 
and  the  war  drums  were  beaten  all  night.  On  the  13th  we 
found  both  banks  of  the  river  openly  hostile.  Close  to  the 
low  hills  of  Om  Ali,  on  the  right  bank,  we  saw  a  gathering  of 
horse  and  foot  ;  fired  at  them  and  knocked  over  a  horseman. 
Below  this  point  we  had  to  hug  the  right  bank  very  closely, 
and  some  Arabs  turned  out,  ran  alongside  the  steamer,  waving 
swords  and  lances.  We  could  have  knocked  them  over  with 
the  greatest  ease,  but  refrained,  as  they  were  so  plucky.  In 
the  afternoon  looted  a  boat  going  up  with  sugar.  Halted  on 
right  bank  about  an  hour  and  a  half  above  El  Dnem.  War 
drums  going  on  all  night.  On  the  14th  we  spent  the  day  de- 
stroying Sakkeyes  in  a  systematic  manner,  taking  them  one 
after  another.  They  gave  us  a  fine  supply  of  wood,  without 
which  it  would  be  absurd  to  go  on  to  Berber.  Should  think 
we  have  destroyed  fifteen  to  twenty  Sakkeyers.  This  evening, 
when  halted,  have  noticed  a  number  of  horse  and  foot  come 
from  the  north  to  the  village  opposite  on  right  bank.  After 
looking  at  us  for  some  time  they  retired,  apparently  in  the  di- 
rection of  Damr.  I  suppose  they  came  to  reconnoitre,  and 
perhaps  to  attack  us  Avhile  destroying  Sakkeyes.  To-morrow 
we  shall  start  before  daybreak,  and  the  steamers  will  escort  iis 
to  the  other  side  of  Berber.  I  think  everything  now  is  in  fair 
working  train,  and  am  sanguine  of  getting  through  all  right. 

At  the  village  of  Bab  Bekr,  an  Egyptian  soldier  came  on 
board  who  had  belonged  to  the  Berber  garrison.  He  had 
been  sold  for  fourteen  dollars  to  a  certain  sheikh,  who  is  said 
to  have  a  lot  more  of  his  comrades.  I  shall  send  him  on  as 
baksheesh  to  the  Khedive.  So  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Shaggyeh,  the  whole  country  is  with  the 
Arabs  ;  have  no  certain  news  about  Dongola,  beyond  that  the 
garrison  is  strong.  Some  have  told  us  there  is  a  large  Egyp- 
tian force  there,  but  others  appear  to  have  no  knowledge  of  it. 
Cannot  say  much  in  favor  of  the  men  on  Sapliia  and  Mansow- 
rah.  They  will  think  of  nothing  but  loot,  will  not  work,  and 
scatter  about  in  the  most  dangerous  way.  Omar  Bey  appears 
to  have  little  control  over  them.  I  must,  however,  say  that 
both  he  and  the  steamer  captain  have  done  everything  in  their 
power  to  assist  me,  and  more  especially  the  captain  of  the 
Mansowrah. 

Both  Herbin,  myself,  and  Power,  wish  to  be  remembered  to 
you.  You  may  depend  upon  it  that  I  shall  do  everything  in  my 
power  to  assist  you.  Thanking  you  for  the  very  great  kindness 
with  which  you  have  overlooked  my  shortcomings,  and  pi*aying 
that  the  blessing  of  the  Almighty  may  abide  with  you, 
I  remain,  my  dear  General, 

Yours  very  truly, 

O.  H.  Stewart. 

P.  S.  —  How  I  wish  you  were  with  us. 


APPENDICES.  401 

I  have  advised  Omar  Bey,  on  account  of  the  very  indifferent 
quality  of  his  troops,  who  are  no  better  tlian  an  armed  mob, 
to  be  very  careful  how  he  lets  them  land  anywhere.  He  tells 
me  he  has  now  fuel  sufficient  to  remain  two  days  at  Berber, 
and  steam  again  some  distance  iip  the  river,  and  that  he  does 
not  intend  to  allow  them  to  land.  I  confess  I  think  he  shows 
his  discretion.  The  incident  I  mentioned  of  the  Arabs  run- 
ning alongside  our  steamer  and  defying  us  with  sword  and 
lance,  impressed  me  vividly  with  their  daring  and  reckless- 
ness. I  am  afraid  our  miserable  troops  would  be  scattered  as 
chaff  before  the  wind  by  tliem.  As  far  as  Shendy  you  may 
consider  the  right  bank,  if  not  wholly  friendly,  is  not  at  any 
rate  openly  hostile. 

With  that  exception  the  whole  country,  so  far  as  I  have 
seen,  is  hostile.  The  Djaalen  have,  I  am  afraid,  gone  over 
heart  and  soul  to  the  Arabs.  All  our  successes  and  failures 
are  kuowu  everywhere.  Mahomet  Ali  Pasha's  defeat  is  per- 
haps exaggerated. 

I  forgot  to  mention  that  the  country  is  in  fine  cultivation, 
and  the  people  working  away  at  their  irrigation  as  if  nothing 
was  the  matter.  South  of  Shendy  on  right  bank  they  did  not 
run  away  at  our  approach,  and  even  north  of  that  place  some 
few  remained  and  looked  at  us  unconcernedly.  Mos^,  however, 
north  of  Shendy,  ran  away,  or  fired  at  us. 

Letter  from  Monsieur  Herbhi,  the  French  Consul,  to  General  Gordon. 

15  Septembre,  1884. 
MON    GiixifRAL, 

Avant  dc  passer  Berber  permettez  moi  de  vous  remer- 
cier  encore  mille  fois  de  toutes  les  bontes  que  vous  avez  eus 
pour  moi  et  de  vous  affirmer  que  je  n'oublierai  jamais  le 
charmant  accueil  que  le  Consiil  de  France  a  trouve  aupres  du 
"O  Komudar,"  M.  Herbin  —  aupres  du  Geue'ral  Gordon. 

Malgre  les  ennuis  que  vous  a  cause  Mahomet  Achmet,  je 
ne  regretterai  pas  je  vous  assure  mon  voyage  a  Khartoum, 
ear  j'espei'e  que  vous  me  permettrez  plus  tard  de  vous  rap- 
peler  que  je  m'y  trouvais  en  meme  temps  que  vous. 

Avec  les  vceux  que  je  fais  pour  que  les  evenements  soient 
dirige's  par  Dieu  dans  un  sens  qui  vous  soit  favorable,  recevez, 
mon  General,  I'assurance  de  mes  sentiments  de  profond  res- 
pect et  d'absolu  devouement. 

Herein. 

P.  S.  Vous  me  pardonnerez,  n'est-ce  pas,  de  vous  ecrire  au 
crayon. 

A  Son  Excellence, 

le  General  Gordon, 

Khartoum. 


APPENDICES  TO   BOOK  IV. 


APPENDIX  p. 

Letter  from  Abou  Gugliz  to  General  Gordon. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Almighty  and  merciful,  and  praise 
be  to  our  Prophet  Mahomet  and  his  relations. 

From  the  servant  of  (lod,  IMalioniet  Osman  Abou  Gugliz, 
to  Gordon  Pasha,  the  beloved  by  England,  and  the  Khedive, 
may  God  beguide  him  to  the  true  faith.  Be  it  known  to  you 
that  the  bearer,  Fatmah,  has  been  seen  by  the  Fakeers,  and 
they  thinlving  she  was  a  spy,  they  imprisoned  her.  It  is  true 
that  she  is  suspicious,  being  from  the  inhabitants  of  Kartoum. 
When  I  saw  her  I  forgave  her,  and  have  released  her  from 
prison,  and  left  it  to  her  choice  whether  to  remain  here  or  go 
back  to  Kartoum;  she  preferred  going  back,  therefore  I  send 
her  ;  if  she  is  a  spy  ask  her,  and  she  will  tell  you  —  if  not, 
treat  her  as  you  think  right. 

23  El  Hejali,  1301. 
October  i3tli,  1884. 

Seal. 

APPENDIX   Q. 

From  Fakirs  El  Sayet  Eltahen  and  Hamed  Idreer  to  Commandant 
Omdurman  Fort. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Merciful  and  Almighty,  praise  be 
to  Him  and  our  prophet. 

From  El  Sayet  Eltahen  and  Ilamed  Idreer  to  Issat  Osman 
Be}',  the  Colonel  and  Commander  of  Omdurman  Station,  and 
to  all  officers  with  him,  our  brethren  in  God.  After  many 
salaams  and  anxiety  to  see  you,  we  write  as  friends  and  com- 
panions of  the  same  religion,  and  as  there  has  been  no  ani- 
mosity or  hatred  existing  between  us  up  to  the  present  day, 
we  inform  you  that  the  Government  of  Egypt  is  no  more 
muler  the  Turkish  Empire,  but  the  English  have  taken  posses- 
sion of  it;  and  you,  being  Arabs  and  Moslems,  hov.'  would  you 
then  remain  with  the  infidels  and  join  Gordon,  v/ho  has  no  one 


APPENDICES.  403 

except  slaves  and  other  very  low  class  of  people,  and  Kartoum 
being  surrounded  on  all  sides  with  great  numbers  of  troops, 
notwithstanding  the  approach  of  the  Descendant  of  the 
Prophet,  our  Iman,  and  the  Iman  of  all  Moslems,  Mohamed 
Achmet,  the  Mahdi,  son  of  Abdullah,  who  has  come  to  a  very 
short  distance  from  Omdurman  with  an  unlimited  number  of 
troops,  how  Kartoum  can  oppose  them.  When  we  saw  these 
signs,  we  have  hastened  to  write  to  you  these  lines,  and  ask 
you  to  come  with  all  your  belongings  and  join  our  Emir,  and 
that  you  should  be  admitted  into  the  fellowship  and  take 
security.  You  bad  better  not  delay  until  Wednesday,  because 
the  Immaum  is  expected  either  to-morrow,  Tuesday,  or  \\  ed- 
uesday.  So  do  not  procrastinate  one  single  day.  Come  before 
the  Immaum  comes,  and  you  will  be  well  received  and  well 
treated  ;  the  same  as  happened  to  those  who  have  come 
before  you.  You  are,  no  doubt,  aware  of  the  mercy  of  our 
Emir  Ahmad  el  Mostapha  ;  and  the  Mahdi  has  sent  orders  to 
the  said  Emir,  and  instructed  him  that  all  who  come  out  from 
Kartoum  or  from  the  fort  should  be  given  security  and  receive 
no  harm.  Therefore  you  should  send  two  messengers  to  meet 
us,  and  inform  xis  of  your  designs  ;  and  we  hope  to  be  the 
cause  of  your  safety.  Let  it  be  known  to  you  that  our  Emir 
is  like  the  ark  of  Noah  —  whoever  comes  to  it  vt'ill  be  saved, 
and  who  refuses  will  perish  in  deluge  ;  so  do  not  procrastinate, 
not  one  day.  The  Emir  was  in  communication  with  you  at 
first,  to  send  messengers  from  your  part,  in  order  to  come  to 
an  understanding  ;  but  now  there  is  no  time  for  that.  One 
single  day  will  be  enough  to  cause  your  perish.  On  account 
of  friendship  wc  send  you  this  advice  ;  and  God  is  a  witness 
of  the  truth  of  our  statement.  You  are  strangers  in  this 
country,  but  not  strangers  to  our  religion  ;  but  Gordon  is  a 
stranger  to  both.  Now  then,  would  you  leave  us  and  join 
him  ?  We  are  told  that  Gordon  Pasha  is  telling  you  that  the 
English  are  coming.  What  if  they  come  ?  What  can  they 
do  to  our  troops  ?  We  are  A-ery  certain  that  the  English  who 
are  at  Suakin  have  all  perished  by  Osman,  and  those  who  are 
at  Assouan  are  besieged  there,  and  have  fortified  themselves 
there,  and  given  up  tlie  Soudan  ;  so  all  the  projects  of  that 
infidel  are  failing  ;  and  also  the  steamer  of  Stewart  Pasha  and 
the  Consul  was  caught  at  the  cataract,  and  those  who  were  on 
board  were  all  killed.  We  send  ym\  also  a  letter  addressed  to 
Farratch  Pasha  el  Zeeb.  Should  you  think  right,  send  it  to 
him  ;  and  if  you  fear  the  result,  tear  it  up  and  destroy  it. 
Leave  the  others  and  come  and  be  saved.  We  are  here  near 
you  ;  come  to  us  secretly,  and  leave  those  infidels  to  their 
fate.  Send  Ibrahim  your  servant,  with  those  you  chose  to 
send  as  messengers,  as  he  is  trustworthy,  and  we  can  deliver 
any  secret  to  him.     We  await  your  early  arrival,  so  as  to  go 


404  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

together  with  Emir  Mustapha,  on  Tuesday  the  23rd  El  Hajah, 
to  the  Mahdi.     Peace  be  upon  him. 

(Signed)  Hamed  Idrees. 

El  Sayet  Eltaher. 


From  Faki  Mustapha  to  Commandant  Omdurman  Fort. 

In  the  name  of  God,  &c.,  &c. 

From  the  servants  of  God,  Ahmed  el  Mustapha,  the  Governor 
of  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  son  of  El  Iffah  el-Ameen  to 
Issat  Osman  Bey  Caimmakam  of  the  Omdurman  Station,  and 
to  all  the  officers  and  soldiers,  may  God  direct  the  right. 

Good  friends,  we  have  so  often  called  you  to  God  and  to 
His  Apostle,  and  to  his  Mahdi  (Reformer),  on  whom  be 
peace,  in  our  letters,  but  you  have  neither  come  nor  sent  us 
messengers.  But  inasmuch  as  the  Fakirs  performing  patrol 
duty,  and  the  sentinels,  tell  us  that  you  do  not  fire  upon  them 
if  they  fire  at  j-ou,  and  if  they  pass  close  by  you  you  do  them 
harm,  hence  we  hope  good  of  you,  and  hope  of  God  that  you 
will  be  directed  t®  the  ^Nlahdiship.  And  now  the  man  of  the 
times  has  come,  the  Iman  of  all  Moslems,  the  successor  of 
God's  Apostle  our  Lord  Mahomed  the  Mahdi  [Reformer],  son 
of  Abdullah,  to  a  place  near  to  us  one  day's  journey  from  our 
camp.  Out  of  solicitude  for  God's  creatures  we  have  taken 
the  trouble  to  write  this  to  you,  after  having  done  so  already 
repeatedly  ;  and  we  have  sent  you  your  Brethren,  Saddeek, 
son  of  Taher,  and  Hamid  el-Shapb,  in  order  that  you  should 
meet  them  outside  beyond  the  Fakeers,  and  agree  with  them 
on  the  plan  which  shall  spare  your  property  and  children,  and 
write  you  to  us  before  the  arrival  of  the  Mahdi,  lest  you  be 
lost  with  those  who  are  lost,  which  God  forbid.  You  know 
our  solicitude  for  the  people,  and  that  we  do  not  interfere 
with  the  property  or  lives  without  legal  authoritj'.  There- 
fore do  not  fear  us,  neither  the  Imam,  on  whom  be  peace,  and 
who  is  better  than  we  and  better  than  all  God's  creatures,  ex- 
cepting God's  Prophet.  Therefore  you  shall  have  security 
from  God,  His  Prophet,  His  Reformer  [Mahdi],  and  security 
from  me  also,  who  am  God's  humble  servant.  Keep  this  as 
a  document  to  witness  against  us,  sealed  with  my  seal,  both  in 
this  world  and  the  next,  that  if  the  least  harm  befall  you, 
your  children,  or  your  property,  if  you  write  yourself  to  me 
this  night,  which  is  the  night  before  Tuesday  the  24th  el- 
Hijjah,  for  fear  lost  you  delay  further  you  will  find  no  other 
opportunity  of  reaching  us,  and  will  perish.  We  have  already 
informed  you  that  this  Mahdi  is  the  true  and  expected  Re- 
former, who  shall  possess  the  eastern  parts  and  the  western 
parts  of  the  earth.     Will  he  therefore  be  too  weak  to  conquer 


APPENDICES.  405 

Kartoum,  in  which  there  are  only  base  people  and  people 
having  no  following  ?  And  we  know  perfectly  the  mimher  ; 
and  they  are  in  want  of  their  relief  from  the  North,  which 
has  been  cut  off  ;  and  the  steamer  called  Kartoumiah  has  been 
taken,  and  the  Fakeers  have  killed  those  -who  were  in  it,  and 
it  was  sunk  over  against  Gordon  like  the  people  of  Seba.  Do 
not  therefore  destroy  yourselves  with  him.  Those  admon- 
ished you  out  of  pity  for  you,  that  you  may  be  among  those 
who  are  saved,  not  among  those  that  perish.  If  you  listen  to 
my  words,  come  out  to  your  Brethren,  and  afterwards  come 
to  us,  and  we  will  speak  about  that  which  will  be  for  your 
interest,  that  is  to  say,  we  will  agree  with  you  on  the  delivery 
of  the  sentinels  by  night,  so  that  the  morning  will  find  the 
Fakeers  there,  and  will  find  you  with  your  property  with  your 
Brethren  here  in  the  camp,  and  to-morrow  we  will  meet  the 
Imam  near  here,  and  you  will  have  saved  yourselves.  But  if 
you  reject  our  words  you  will  rue  it,  and  I  have  thus  admon- 
ished you. 

(Signed)  Ahmad  Mustapha  el-Ameen. 

October  13,  1884. 
23  Hijjah,  1301. 

P.  S.  —  Herewith  is  a  letter  to  Ferratch  Pasha  el-Zeeb,  if 
you  send  it  by  some  one  who  will  keep  the  secret  all  right. 
But  if  any  harm  come  to  you  therefrom,  then  let  it  alone  and 
save  yourselves,  and  if  you  come  to  us  now,  and  one  piastre 
of  your  property  be  lost,  or  one  drop  of  your  blood,  I  am  re- 
sponsible, for  this  is  a  document  against  me.  Besides,  Our 
Sovereign  Lord  the  Imam  has  given  security  to  all  who  come 
over  to  us  from  the  people  of  Kartoum  and  from  your  fort, 
and  there  is  no  fear. 

[L.  S.] 

APPENDIX   R. 

Letter  from  Slatin  Bey. 

A  Son  Excellence  Gordon  Pacha, 

Gouvenieur  Gent^ral  dii  Soudan. 

Excellence, 

J'ai  me  pemii  d'ecrire  h  votre  Excellence  une  lettre  en 
allemande  dans  laquelle  je  vous  offre  mes  services.  J'ai  ete 
oblige  d'ecrire  a  votre  Excellence  en  allemande  parce  que  on 
a  brule  mon  Dietionnaire  francjaise  crojat  c'est  une  livre  de 
pi'iere  cretienne.  J'espere  de  trouver  I'occasion  de  m'uni  avec 
votre  Excellence  et  I'acceptation  de  mes  services.  J'espere 
que  vous  vous  portez  bien  et  prie  Dieu  qui  vous  donne  la  siege. 
Votre 
Devoue  et  obeissant  serviteur, 

Sl.ATIN. 


406  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Une  de  vos  Sandechaque,  Abdel  Habin,  a  ecri  ixne  lettre  ici 
demandant  le  pardon,  comme  j'entende  veulent  les  Scheigiues 
qiiitte  le  Halfai  et  se  nni  avec  les  partisans  du  Mahdi  pas  par 
I'endmitie  contre  votre  Excellence,  non  seulement  par  peure 
pour  leurs  femmes  et  enfants. 

J'entends  que  votre  Excellence  m'ont  ecri  une  lettre,  me  je 
ne  I'ai  pas  re9u  ;  on  dit  que  le  Chalifa  Abdullah  I'a  brule. 


Letter  from  Slatin  Bey. 
His  Excellency  Gordon  Paslia,  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan: 

Your  Excellency, 

I  have  learnt  through  George  Calamantino,  the  bearer  of 
the  letter  from  Mahomet  Achmet,  that  your  Excellency,  not 
knowing  the  true  facts  of  the  case,  judges  my  proceedings  and 
capitulation  disparagingly.  I  therefore  take  the  liberty  of 
informing  you  of  the  true  state  of  affairs  as  they  are  and  as 
they  have  been,  and  beg  that  you  may  form  your  opinion  of 
me  accordingly. 

Since  my  appointment  as  Governor  of  Darfur,  I  have  been 
engaged  in  warfare  with  Sultan  Harouu  and  Dud  Beuga,  and 
when  the  revolution,  caused  by  Mahomet  Achmet,  broke  out,  I 
was  left  in  Darfur  without  officers  ;  some  of  them  had  been 
killed,  some  had  been  dismissed  by  the  Government,  and  the 
few  remaining  ones  were  not  fit  to  take  a  command.  At  the 
first  outbreak,  even  of  hostilities  which  were  simultaneous  with 
those  of  Achmet  el  Arabi  in  Egypt,  1  was  compelled  person- 
ally to  take  a  command.  After  several  battles,  all  more  or 
less  unsuccessful,  the  Arabian  officers  who  bore  me  a  grudge 
and  firmly  believed  in  the  victory  of  Achmet  el  Arabi  over  the 
Europeans,  gave  out  among  the  soldiers  as  their  opinion,  that 
the  cause  of  my  defeat  lay  in  my  being  a  Christian.  In  order 
to  stifle  these  injurious  opinions,  I  gave  oixt  that  I  had  for 
some  years  already  practised  the  Mahomedan  religion,  and 
now  publicly  proclaimed  my  conversion.  By  this  step  I  had 
regained  the  confidence  of  my  soldiers,  inspired  them  with 
hope,  had  given  them  aJiappy  confidence,  uprooted  malicious 
intrigues,  and  conducted  several  successful  battles,  until  the 
annihilation  of  the  army  in  Kordofan  commanded  by  Hicks. 

Whether  by  my  conversion  I  committed  a  dishonourable  step 
is  a  matter  of  opinion  —  it  was  made  more  easy  to  me  because 
I  had,  perhaps  unhappily,  not  received  a  strict  religious  educa- 
tion at  home. 

I  commanded  in  Dara  against  the  tribes  known  to  your 
Excellency  as  Razagat,  H.  L.,  &c.,  and  in  spite  of  great  loss 
of  life  and  want  of  ammunition,  we  were  full  of  glad  con- 
fidence in  Hicks's  reserves,  but  after  the  annihilation  of  the 
latter  the  demoralised  troops  refused  to  fight  any  longer.     I 


APPENDICES.  407 

had  now  at  vnj  disposal  about  700  soldiers,  counting  sick  and 
wounded,  and  for  each  gun  ten  to  twelve  dozen  cartridges. 
Officers  and  men  demanded  capitulation,  and  I,  standing 
thei-e  alone  and  a  European,  was  compelled  to  follow  the 
majority  and  compelled  to  capitulate.  Does  your  Excellency 
believe  that  to  me,  as  an  Austrian  officei-,  the  surrender  was 
easy  ?     It  was  one  of  the  hardest  days  of  my  life. 

By  submission  and  obedieiit  behaviour  I  have  attained  a 
certain  degree  of  confidence  amongst  the  local  magnates,  and 
have  thus  received  permission  to  write  to  you,  because  they 
are  of  the  opinion  that  by  these  lines  I  am  requesting  your 
Excellency  to  surrender. 

Should  your  Excellency  not  despise  my  feeble  services  and 
small  knowledge  of  tactics,  I  beg  to  offer  you  my  help,  with 
no  desire  for  a  higher  post  of  honour,  only  from  devotion  and 
friendship  for  your  Excellency  and  the  good  cause.  I  am 
ready  with  or  under  you,  for  either  victory  or  death.  My 
few  faithful  ones  here,  my  fortune,  &c.,  all  —  all  will  I  gladly 
desert  to  die,  if  God  so  please,  an  honourable  death. 

Should  you  accept  my  services,  I  beg  your  Excellency  to 
write  me  an  answer  to  these  lines  in  French,  but  in  Arabic  the 
following  letter  :  — 

"  Seek  to  obtain  the  permission  of  Seid  Mohamed  Ebn  Seid 
Abdullah^  to  come  to  Omdurman,in  order  to  discuss  with  you 
the  possibility  and  conditions  of  surrender." 

By  showing  this  letter  I  hope  to  obtain  pemiission  and  op- 
portunity to  come  to  Omdurman,  and  to  unite  with  you.  It 
now  remains  with  your  Excellency  to  accept  or  refuse  my 
services. 

May  God  give  you  the  victory. 

Your  Excellency's 

Most  gratefully  devoted, 

Slatin. 

Sandjak  Saleh  Bey,  as  well  as  Ata  Aga  and  all  other  sheiks 
here,  assure  your  Excellency  of  their  fidelity  and  devotion,  and 
regret  the  miserable  circumstances  which  force  them  to  remain 
with  the  supporters  of  Mohamet  Achmet  until  help  arrives,  in 
order  to  preserve  their  wives  and  children. 

APPENDIX   S. 

Lettre  de  Slatin  Bey  a  Mr.HansalL 
(Traduction  fran^aise.) 

Le  Maigdi  vient,  mais  il  n'y  a  pas  beaueoup  de  monde  avec 
lui,  et  si  les  soldats  et  les  habitants  de  Kartoum  sont  suffissant 

1  Slatin's  new  name. 


408  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

et  ne  partagent  pas  les  avis  des  rebelles,  vous  n'avez  rien  k 
craindre. 

Faites  tout  ce  que  vous  pouvez,  que  je  remontre  personnelle- 
ment  son  Excellence  Gordon  pasha,  parce  que  je  puis  lui  don- 
ner  des  nouvelles  plus  sinceres  et  plus  exactes  que  ses  spiones. 

Avisez  S.  E.  que,  s'il  accepte  mes  services  a  Kartoum,  je 
puis  la  annoncer  toujours  tout  ce  qu'il  arriverai  chez  les  re- 
belles. 

Mais  je  desire  lui  parler  d'avance  de  vive  voix. 

Faites  mes  complements  a  tons  les  Europe'ens  et  k  tous  les 
indigenes. 

Si  les  hommes  de  Kartoum  sont  bien  energique  et  bien 
forts,  ils  doivent  etre  bien  surs  qu'ils  gagneut  tout  ce  qu'ils 
veulent.  Plut  h.  Dieu  que  je  vous  revoir  a  Omdourman  ou  k 
Kartoum.  Je  desire  beaucoup  que  S.  Excellence  me  donne  la 
promesse,  qu'il  ne  rendra  pas  jamais  le  Kartoum  aux  rebelles, 
p?.rce  que  en  ce  cas  je  soupirai  beaucoup  des  Arabes,  qui  vent 
me  tyranniser  et  me  tuer  apres. 

Aussi  vos  soldats  et  les  habitants  de  Kartoum  doivent  pren- 
dre patience  et  attendre  un  et  demi  deux  mois  jusqu'ils  ar- 
rivent  les  secours. 

II  y  a  ici  le  nouvelle,  que  le  petit  bateau  que  vous  avez  en- 
voye  a  Dongola  est  pris  des  rebelles  k  Wady  Gama,  mais  ce 
nouvelle  n'est  pas  bien  sur,  parce  que  quelques  autres  disent 
le  contraire. 


THE    INSURRECTION   OF    THE    FALSE   PROPHET, 
1881-83,  TO  THE  DEFEAT  OF  HICKS'S  ARMY.i 

For  many  years  the  creed  of  Mahomed  has  been  making 
immense  strides  in  Central  Africa,  where  it  seems  to  have  a 
peculiar  fascination  for  the  native  races.  The  number  of  con- 
verts has  been  estimated  at  from  eight  to  twelve  millions,  and 
the  idea  of  the  regeneration  of  Islam  by  force  of  arms  has 
gained  a  strong  hold  among  them.  Ou  the  appearance  of 
the  False  Prophet  in  the  summer  of  1881,  thousands  flocked 
to  his  standard. 

The  person  in  question  is  a  Sheikh  named  Mahomed  Ach- 
met,  the  son  of  a  carpenter,  and  a  native  of  Dongola.  He 
was  born  about  the  year  1848,  and  educated  in  a  village  near 
Kartoum,  where  he  studied  religion.  In  1870  he  became  a 
Sheikh,  and  after  a  short  stay  at  Kaka,  near  Fashoda,  took  up 
his  residence  on  the  island  of  Abba,  in  the  White  Nile.  There 
he  gradually  acquired  a  great  reputation  for  sanctity,  and  in 

1  This  docnment  came  down  with  the  fourth  Journal.  It  was  com- 
piled in  the  IiUelligence  Branch,  Quartermaster-General's  Department 
of  the  War  Office. 


APPENDICES.  409 

time  assembled  a  considerable  number  of  dervishes,  or  holy- 
men,  round  him.  He  augmented  his  influence  by  marrying 
daughters  of  the  leading  chiefs  of  the  Baggara  Arabs,  ^  and, 
by  his  power  and  tact,  succeeded  in  uniting  the  various  tribes. 

In  May,  1881,  when  living  at  Marabieh,  near  the  Island  of 
Abba,  he  first  advanced  his  claims  to  being  the  Messiah,  or 
Prophet  foretold  by  Mahomed.  By  his  followers  he  was 
styled  "El-Mahdi,"  more  usually,  but  incorrectly,  written 
"El-Mahdi."  This  is  an  Arabic  word  meaning  simply  a 
"  Leader "  or  "  Guide,"  and  is  not  found  in  the  Koran.  In 
the  early  days  of  Islam,  it  was  not  unfrQquently  used  as  a 
name  or  title.  The  notion  which  prevails  among  Moslems 
generally,  regarding  the  expected  great  "El-Mahdi,"  is,  that 
he  will  be  a  descendant  of  the  Prophet,  and  will  appear  to- 
wards the  end  of  time  to  uproot  \vickedness,  to  avenge  the 
blood  of  the  Imams  who  were  slain  unjustly,  and  to  establish 
a  reign  of  righteousness  on  the  earth. 

The  Ulema^  of  Kartoum  did  not  hesitate  to  pronounce 
against  Mohamed  Achmet,  and  he  was  likewise  discredited  at 
Cairo  and  Constantinople,  and  soon  became  known  as  the 
"  False  Prophet."  Among  many  reasons  for  disbelief,  one 
was,  that  the  Redeemer  of  the  World,  promised  in  the  Koran, 
would  come  from  the  East,  and  not  from  the  West. 

The  intentions  of  Mahomed  Achmet,  as  set  forth  in  various 
proclamations,  were  as  follows  :  — 

To  gain  over  the  whole  of  the  Soudan  to  his  cause,  then 
march  on  Egypt  and  overthrow  the  false-believing  Turks,  and, 
finally,  to  establish  the  thousand  years'  kingdom  in  Mecca,  and 
convert  the  whole  world. 

The  principles  of  his  teachings  were  universal  equality, 
universal  law  and  religion,  and  community  of  goods.  All 
who  opposed  his  mission  were  to  be  destroyed,  whether  Chris- 
tian, Mahomedan,  or  Pagan. 

The  religious  fanaticism  of  the  native  tribes  of  the  Soudan 
was,  however,  only  one  of  the  many  causes  of  the  insurrection 
which  broke  out  after  the  appearance  of  the  Malidi.  The 
principal  one  appears  to  have  been  hatred  of  the  Government, 
due  to  — 

(1.)  The  venality  of  the  Egyptian  officials,  and  the  op- 
pressive and  unjust  manner  of  collecting  the  taxes  ; 
and  especially  to 

2  Powerful  nomad  tribes  inhabiting;  the  country  west  of  the  White 
Nile,  and  southeast  of  Kordofau  and  Darfur. 

3  A  body  corresponding  to  the  Divines  in  Christendom,  who  are  ap- 
pealed to  by  the  Sultan  respecting  the  right  application  of  precepts  of 
the  Moslem  faith,  and  their  decision  is  known  as  afetua. 


410  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

(2.)  The  suppression  of  the  slave  trade.  Most  of  the  sup- 
porters of  the  Mahdi,  more  especially  the  Baggara 
tribes,  owe  all  their  wealth  to  the  traffic  in  slaves, 
which  the  Egyptian  Government  has  now  for  many 
years  been  taking  measures  to  put  an  end  to. 

The  time  selected  for  the  rising  was  after  the  garrisons  of 
the  Soudan  had  been  diminished  for  reasons  of  economy. 
Lieut.-Colonel  Stewai-t  is,  however,  of  opinion  that  the  military 
weakness  of  Egypt  was  not  any  real  cause  of  the  rebellion,  as 
he  believes  the  troops  in  the  Soudan  would  have  been  sufficient 
to  quell  it  had  they  been  properly  handled.* 

In  July,  1881,  the  attention  of  Raouf  Pasha,  the  Governor- 
General  of  the  Soudan,  was  drawn  to  the  pretensions  of  the 
Mahdi  ;  and  he  sent  a  commission  of  inquiry  from  Kartoum 
to  interview  liim,  and  ascertain  the  true  state  of  affairs. 

On  their  return,  it  was  determined  to  send  a  military  ex- 
pedition to  Marabieh  to  brmg  the  Mahdi  to  Kartoum.  A 
force  of  200  men  left  the  latter  place  by  steamer  on  the  11th 
August,  reaching  Djeziret  Abba  in  15  hours.  There  they  dis- 
embarked, and  advanced  towards  the  residence  of  the  Mahdi. 
When  quite  close  to  it,  they  suddenly  found  themselves  in  the 
presence  of  4,000  to  5,000  of  his  followers,  armed  with  swords 
and  lances.  The  troops  fired  one  volley,  but  were  almost  im- 
mediately overpowered,  and  forced  to  retire,  leaving  behind 
them  120  of  their  party  dead,  among  whom  were  the  two 
officers. 

After  this,  the  Mahdi  sent  emissaries  to  all  the  neighbouring 
chiefs,  calling  on  them  to  join  him. 

The  Governor-General,  on  hearing  of  the  disaster,  ordered 
all  the  available  troops  from  Kartoum,  Sennaar,  Fashoda,  Kor- 
dofan,  and  Berber,  to  assemble  near  Kawa,  on  the  White  Nile. 
The  garrisons  were  left  so  weak  that  hardly  sufficient  troops 
remained  to  carry  on  the  ordinary  duties. 

Great  excitement  prevailed  in  Kartoum,  which  had  no  de- 
fences of  any  kind  ;  and  the  inhabitants  commenced  to  agitate 
for  the  construction  of  earthworks.  Fears  were  entertained 
that  the  insurrection  would  spread  rapidly,  and  even  that  the 
slaves,  who  formed  more  than  half  of  the  population  of  the 

4  This  opinion  hardly  agrees  with  that  of  a  military  correspondent  of 
the  Times,  who,  writing  from  Kartomii,  on  the  2-4th  July,  1883,  states 
that  to  preserve  tranquillity  at  ordinary  times,  9,090  troops,  exclusive  of 
the  garrison  of  Kartoum,  would  be  necessary,  even  supposing  the  prov- 
inces of  Kordofan  and  Darfur  to  be  abandoned,  as  has  been  recom- 
mended by  several  high  authorities.  He  suggests  that  the  9,000  troops 
should  be  distributed  as  follows  ;  viz.,  4,000  between  Kartoum  and 
Jebel  Ain,  on  both  sides  of  the  White  Nile,  1,000  at  Fashoda  to  keep 
the  Denka  tribes  and  Shilluks  iu  order,  and  4,000  on  the  Blue  Nile,  be- 
tween Kartoum  and  Karkoj. 


APPENDICES.  411 

town,  would  rise.  Many  were  of  opinion  that  a  large  garrison 
of  Egyptian  troops  was  absolutely  necessary  to  ensure  safety. 

By  the  end  of  August,  1881,  1,400  troops  were  concentrated 
near  Kawa.  There  they  remained  idle  for  more  than  a  month, 
and  then  dispersed  to  their  quarters  without  having  made  the 
slightest  attempt  to  follow  the  Mahdi,  who  had  retreated  into 
the  mountainous  district  of  Takalla.^  It  is  probable  that,  had 
he  been  resolutely  attacked,  he  would  have  been  defeated,  his 
followers  would  have  deserted  him,  and  the  rebellion,  with  all 
its  disastrous  consequences,  would  have  been  crushed. 

Rashid  Bey,  the  Mudir  of  Faslioda,  tvnce.  asked  to  be  al- 
lowed to  march  against  the  Mahdi,  but  on  both  occasions 
permission  was  refused.  At  length,  acting  on  his  own  respon- 
sibility, he  set  out  with  400  regular  soldiers,  and  100  Shilluk 
negroes,  led  by  their  chief  Kaikun,  and  after  a  four  days' 
march  reached  the  camp  of  the  Mahdi,  on  the  mountain  of 
Gadir,^  on  the  8th  December.  In  the  fight  which  ensued, 
Rashid  Bey  and  the  greater  part  of  his  troops,  including  the 
Shilluk  Chieftain,  were  cut  down  by  the  Baggara  horsemen. 
But  few  escaped  to  carry  the  news  of  the  defeat  to  Fashoda. 
A  large  quantity  of  rifles,  ammunition,  and  stores  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Mahdi. 

Great  fears  for  the  safety  of  Fashoda  were  entertained  at 
Kartoum,  and  200  soldiers  were  immediately  sent  there  by 
steamer. 

It  was  becoming  more  evident  every  day  that  a  regidar 
campaign  would  be  necessary  to  quell  the  rebellion,  and  that 
reinforcements  of  men  and  materiel  were  absolutely  neces- 
sary. Large  numbers  of  irregular  troops  from  the  Sliaikiyeh,'' 
Dongola,  and  Berber  districts  were  enrolled,  and  armed  at 
Kartoum.  Nubir  Yussuf  Pasha,  who  had  formerly  seen  ser- 
vice under  Gessi  Pasha,  ^  was  put  in  command  of  them.  On 
the  15th  March  he  left  Kartovmi  with  a  force  4,000  strong,  to 
operate  against  the  rebels  in  the  Shilluk  country,  but  by  the 
time  he  reached  Kawa,  several  hundreds  of  the  irregular 
troops  had  already  deserted,  and  gone  over  to  the  enemy,  and 
he  remained  there  with  the  rest  of  his  force  inactive  for  sev- 
eral weeks. 

Raouf  Pasha,  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan,  was  re- 
called to  Egypt  on  the  4th  March,  and  Abdel  Kader  Pasha 
was  appointed  to  succeed  him.  Pending  the  arrival  of  the  lat- 
ter, Giegler  Pasha  assumed  temporary  charge  of  the  Soudan. 

s  South  of  Kordofan.     This  district  is  principally  inhabited  by  negro 
tribes,  with  a  king  of  their  own,  nominally  subject  to  Kordofan. 
0  About  150  miles  northwest  of  Kaka  on  the  White  Nile. 

7  A  tribe  above  Korti,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Nile. 

8  An  Italian  of  great  force  of  character.  He  joined  Colonel  Gordon's 
Staff  in  the  summer  of  1874,  and  subsequently  became  Governor  of  the 
Bahr-el-Ghazal  province. 


412  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  concentration  at  Kawa,  the  rebels 
attempted  to  make  themselves  masters  of  the  district  of  Sen- 
naar,  and  had  many  minor  successes. 

On  the  6th  April,  the  garrison  of  the  town  of  Sennaar  at- 
tacked a  large  force  of  Arabs,  led  by  a  nephew  of  the  Mahdi, 
who  were  encamped  in  the  neighbourhood,  but  the  attack  was 
repulsed,  and  the  Egji^tian  troops,  ha\'iug  suffered  great  loss, 
retreated  to  the  town,  and  shut  themselves  up  in  the  Govern- 
ment buildings,  which  they  succeeded  in  defending. 

They  were  followed  by  the  rebels,  and  for  three  days  the 
greater  part  of  the  town  was  given  ujj  to  murder,  plunder, 
and  fire.  Many  of  the  inhabitants,  as  well  as  14  foreign  mer- 
chants, 9  officers,  and  more  than  100  soldiers,  were  killed. 
The  losses  of  the  rebels  were  also  very  considerable.  As  soon 
as  the  news  reached  Kartomn,  reinforcements  were  ordered  to 
Sennaar  from  Kalabat,^  Katarif,i°  and  Kawa.  On  the  arrival 
of  a  detachment  from  the  last-mentioned  place,  the  rebels  re- 
tired towards  Karkoj,i^  which  had  already  been  some  time  in 
their  hands. 

About  this  time  the  Shilluks  ^^  were  reported  to  be  in  revolt, 
and  the  news  from  Darfur  >vas  far  from  re-assuring.  The  in- 
surrection appeared  to  be  gaining  ground  in  every  direction, 
and  the  position  of  the  Government  was  becoming  most  critical. 

On  the  loth  April  a  detachment  of  200  troops  left  Kartoum, 
and  proceeded  up  the  western  bank  of  the  Blue  Nile.  About 
the  same  time  some  Bashi-Bazuks,  under  Ali  Kashef,  arrived 
at  Abou-Haraz  (at  the  junction  of  the  Blue  Nile  and  the  Ra- 
had)  from  Katarif,  to  act  on  the  eastern  baidf  of  the  Blue  Nile 
in  conjunction  with  several  thousand  Shukuriyeh,^^  under  the 
Sheikh  Aud-el-Kerim  Bej*.  By  operating  on  both  flanks, 
hopes  were  entertained  of  speedily  restoring  tranquillity  in  the 
Province  of  Sennaar.  No  engagement  of  importance  took 
place  till  the  end  of  the  month,  when  150  Egyptian  troops 
were  cut  to  pieces  by  the  rebels  near  Mesalameh. 

During  April  the  Mahdi  with  the  bulk  of  his  followers  still 
remained  on  the  mountain  of  Gadir. 

News  received  from  Kordofan  stated  that  15  soldiers  at  the 
frontier  post  of  Abu  Haraz  (west  of  El-Obeyed  ^'*  on  the  way 
to  Shaka  '^^)  had  been  killed,  and  that  150  soldiers  stationed  in 

9  A  district  on  the  Abyssinian  frontier  near  the  sources  of  the  Atbara. 
1"  Sometimes  called  Suk-abu-Sin. 

11  Above  Sennaar  on  the  Blue  Nile. 

12  A  negro  tribe,  numbering  nearh^  a  million  souls,  inhabiting  the 
banks  of  the  White  Nile  for  200  miles  northwards  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Ghazal  river. 

13  A  powerful  Arab  tribe,  living  in  the  country  between  the  Atbara 
and  Kartoum. 

14  Capital  of  Kordofan. 

15  A  large  town  in  the  south  of  Darfur. 


APPENDICES.  413 

Nuba,^®  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade,  had  been  re- 
called to  El-Obeyed.  The  inhabitants  of  the  last-mentioned 
place  were  arming  themselves,  and  constructing  entrench- 
ments. Six  thousand  rebels  were  reported  to  be  encamped  in 
the  neighbourhood,  and  an  attack  was  expected. 

By  the  end  of  April  a  considei'able  force  had  been  collected 
on  the  Blue  Nile,  and  Giegler  Pasha  placed  himself  at  the 
head  of  it.  On  the  3rd  May  he  attacked  the  nephew  of  the 
Mahdi,  Sherif  Ahmed  Taha,  near  Abou  Haraz  (on  the  Blue 
Nile).  The  fight  was  obstinate,  and  the  troops  made  but  lit- 
tle progress  till  Sheikh  Aud-el-Kerim  Bey  came  to  his  assis- 
tance with  a  large  body  of  Shukuriyeh,  2,000  of  whom  were 
mounted,  and  clad  in  armour. 

The  rebels  were  at  length  overpowered.  The  Shei-if  was 
amongst  the  slain,  and  his  head  was  sent  to  Kartoum,  and 
publicly  exposed.  In  the  telegrams  announcing  the  victory, 
Giegler  Pasha  made  no  mention  of  the  assistance  he  had  re- 
ceived from  the  Shukuriyeh,  but  spoke  only  of  the  bravery  of 
the  Khedivial  troops. 

On  the  25th  May  Giegler  Pasha  appears  to  have  gained 
another  victory  over  the  rebels  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Sen- 
naar,  in  which  800  of  them,  including  their  chief,  were  killed. 

Abdel  Kader  Pasha  reached  Kartoum  on  the  11th  May,  and 
assumed  the  duties  of  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan. 

On  the  16th  May  the  tribe  of  Hassaniyeh  Arabs,  li\Tng 
along  the  road  from  Kartoum  to  Kordofan,  having  been  re- 
ported to  be  in  revolt,  200  soldiers  were  sent  to  Tur-el-Hadra, 
on  the  White  Nile.     They  were  to  be  followed  by  600  more. 

Communication  with  Darfur,  Sennaar,  and  Fazokl  was  in- 
terrupted. 

At  Kartoum  the  formation  of  irregular  regiments  of  Shag- 
gyeh  and  Dongolese  was  being  actively  pushed  forward.  Re- 
inforcements were  coming  in  from  Berber,  and  were  mostly 
sent  on  to  Kordofan,  where  great  insecurity  prevailed.  Large 
quantities  of  warlike  stores  and  some  guns  were  reported  to 
have  reached  Berber  from  Cairo. 

On  the  27th  May  Rashid  Pasha,  Chief  of  the  Military  Posts 
along  the  Abyssinian  frontier,  reached  Kartoum,  and  left  on 
the  3rd  June  for  Kordofan,  whither  more  than  1,000  troops 
had  already  preceded  him.  It  was  supposed  that  he  was  to  be 
appointed  Hokmdar  of  Darfur,  Kordofan,  and  Dongola. 

Of  the  doings  of  the  Mahdi,  and  the  state  of  affairs  in  Dar- 
fur, there  was  no  news. 

The  Mudirieh  of  Sennaar  was  still  far  from  being  pacified, 
and,  on  the  9th  June,  a  force  of  20,000  rebels  was  reported  to 

It*  A  district  south  of  Kordofan. 


414  GENERAL   GORDONS  JOURNALS. 

be  a  day's  march  from  the  town  of  that  name.  The  insurrec- 
tion was  also  reported  to  be  spreading  to  the  districts  south  of 
Karkoj. 

Towards  the  end  of  May  Yussuf  Pasha,  who  had  done  little 
or  nothing  since  March,  was  ordered  to  advance  from  Kawa 
against  the  Mahdi,  still  supposed  to  be  somewhere  near  the 
momitam  of  Gadir.  After  great  delays  he  set  out  with  a  large 
disorganized  force  of  several  thousand  men  and  swarms  of 
camp  followers.  The  rains  had  begun,  and  progress  was 
slow.  On  the  7th  June  he  was  face  to  face  with  the  rebels  in 
a  densely  wooded  country.  A  seriba  (or  stockade  of  prickly 
shrubs)  was  commenced,  and  the  troops  were  formed  up  in- 
side it  in  a  hollow  square.  The  rebels,  however,  broke  in 
upon  them,  and  defeated  and  utterly  routed  the  whole  force. 
This  crushing  defeat  gave  a  fresh  impetus  to  the  insurrection. 

On  the  13th  June  400  men  were  sent  by  steamer  to  re- 
inforce the  garrison  of  Fashoda,  and  on  the  29th  a  battalion, 
which  had  arrived  at  Kartoum  from  Senheit,^'^  was  also  sent 
on  there.  These  reinforcements  were  placed  under  the  com- 
mand of  Rashid  Pasha,  whose  orders  had  been  altered,  and 
who  had  only  accompanied  the  troops  for  Kordofau  as  far  as 
Tur-el-Hadra. 

News  from  Darfur  was  scant  and  unreliable.  It  was 
rumoured  that  an  attack  on  Omohangah  on  the  17th  June  had 
been  repulsed  ;  but  that  towards  Shaka  an  Egyptian  force  of 
1,000  men  had  been  almost  annihilated  on  the  20th  Jidy. 

In  Kordofau  the  rebels  attacked  Bara  ^^  on  the  28th  June, 
but  were  repulsed,  it  is  said,  with  a  loss  of  32,000  men.  At 
the  same  time  large  bands  infested  the  neighborliood  of  El 
Obeyed,  ana  wacer,  fuel,  and  grain  were  already  reported  to 
be  scarce  in  that  town. 

Early  in  July  the  insurrection  was  rumoured  to  have  spread 
to  the  provinces  of  Bahr-el-Ghazel,  Shaka,  and  the  Equator, 
but  the  reports  turned  out  to  be  exaggerated,  and  the  move- 
ment never  obtained  any  hold  in  those  parts. 

Towards  the  end  of  June  the  works  of  defence  for  the 
protection  of  Kartoum  were  commenced  to  the  south  of  the 
town.  It  began  to  appear  doubtful  whether  the  irregular 
troops  would  be  able  to  make  head  against  the  rebellion,  and 
reinforcements  from  Cairo  were  not  arriving.  It  was  then 
resolved  to  form  negro  battalions,  and  every  slave-owner  in 
Kartoum  was  called  upon  to  give  up  a  certain  number  of 
slaves  for  the  purpose.  By  this  means  it  was  estimated  that 
2,000  troops  could  be  obtained.     The  same  system  had  been 

i'^  A  district  called  by  the  Abysrians  Bogos,  on  the  road  between 
Kassala  and  Massowah. 

18  A  pretty  town,  with  a  good  supply  of  water,  and  surrounded  by 
excellent  gardens. 


APPENDICES.  415 

followed  two  years  before,  during  the  mobilization  of  the 
army  for  operations  against  Abyssinia.  It  had  the  double 
advantage  of  increasing  the  troops,  and  diminishing  the  num- 
ber of  slaves,  who  it  was  feared  might  revolt. 

The  foreign  inhabitants,  having  no  slaves,  decided  to  give 
assistance  in  kind,  and  sent  525  ardebs  ^^  of  dhoora,'^''  worth 
360  pounds  sterling,  towards  the  sustenance  of  these  newly 
raised  battalions. 

In  August  a  state  of  siege  was  proclaimed  in  Kartoum. 
Five  forts  had  been  constructed,  each  armed  with  one  gun. 
The  town  was  divided  into  four  military  sections,  and  pickets 
patrolled  the  streets  both  day  and  night.  A  rising  in  the  town 
was  expected,  simultaneously  with  an  attack  from  without. 

As  a  further  protection,  it  was  decided  to  cut  a  canal  south 
of  the  town,  joining  the  two  branches  of  the  Nile,  but  the 
commencement  of  this  work  appears  to  have  been  delayed 
till  November. 

The  Kababish  Arabs,  an  important  tribe  occupying  a  large 
tract  of  country  between  Kordofan  and  Dongola,  were  in 
revolt,  and  a  large  force  of  them  were  menacingly  encamped 
within  a  day's  march  of  Kartoum. 

During  July  and  August  many  minor  engagements  were 
fought  upon  the  lines  of  communication  between  the  White 
Nile  and  Kordofan,  which  almost  always  resulted  in  favour 
of  the  rebels.  The  commercial  town  of  Shatt,  on  the  road 
from  Duem,  on  the  White  Nile,  to  El  Obeyed,  was  totally 
destroyed  by  them,  the  male  population  was  put  to  the  sword, 
and  the  women  and  children  were  carried  off  into  captivity. 

In  the  beginning  of  August  the  insurgent  forces  were 
divided  into  three  principal  groups  :  — 

The  Mahdi,  with  the  bulk  of  his  forces,  was  still  on  the 
mountain  of  Gadir,  in  the  Takalla  district  ;  a  second  army 
was  wasting  Kordofan,  and  a  third  stretched  along  the  White 
Nile  from  Duem  to  Djezirit  Abba,  on  the  western  bank,  and 
from  Kawa  to  Marabieh  on  the  eastern. 

On  the  19th  August  the  rebels  were  defeated  near  Bara, 
and  El  Obeyed  was  subsequently  revictualled. 

The  rebels  operating  along  the  western  bank  of  the  White 
Nile,  under  Ahmed  Woad-el-Makashef,  were  attacked  by  the 
Egyptian  troops  near  Duem  on  the  28tli  of  August,  and 
routed,  leaving  3,500  dead  on  the  field  of  battle.  This 
defeat  frustrated  the  projected  march  on  Kartoum. 

After  this  the  Mahdi  took  the  field  in  person,  and  advanced 
on  El  Obeyed,  around  which  an  earthen  rampart,  armed  with 
a  few  guns,  had  been  thrown  up.     The  garrison  consisted  of 

19  One  ardeb  —  5  3-5  bushels.  20  ^  kjinj  of  maize. 


416  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

6,000  men,  armed  with  Remington  rifles.  The  rifles  had 
been  sent  there  in  June  by  Abdel  Kader  Pasha,  in  anticipation 
of  a  siege. 

The  rebels  were  armed  with  spears  and  matchlocks. 

On  the  8th  of  September  the  Mahdi  made  a  desperate 
assault  on  the  town,  but  was  repulsed  with  great  slaughter, 
his  losses  being  reported  to  be  from  12,000  to  15,000  killed, 
while  those  of  the  garrison  are  put  down  at  288.  Two 
brothers  of  the  Mahdi  and  several  insurgent  chiefs  were 
among  the  slain.  The  attack  was  repeated  on  the  11th  and 
14th  September,  but  on  both  occasions  without  success.  The 
rebels  fought  with  the  greatest  fury,  quite  regardless  of  death. 
Their  losses  in  the  three  assaults  are  said  to  have  reached  the 
enormous  total  of  40,000.21 

In  presence  of  the  disaffection  of  many  of  the  regular 
troops,  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan  issued  an  appeal 
to  the  patriotism  of  those  of  the  Shukuriyeh,  Dabaiua,  and 
Kababish  tribes  who  still  remained  loyal,  urging  them  to  take 
the  field  against  the  rebels,  and  promising  the  remission  of 
one  year's  taxes.  He  further  undertook  to  pay  £2  for  every 
dervish  (as  the  followers  of  Mahdi  were  called)  captured, 
dead  or  alive,  and  £18  for  every  chief. 

All  booty  was  to  remain  the  property  of  the  captors.  The 
result  was  that  shortly  afterwards  several  thousand  volun- 
teers joined  the  troops  at  Kawa. 

On  the  3rd  September,  300  negro  recruits  reached  Kartoum 
from  Lardo  in  the  Equatorial  provinces,  and  these  were 
shortly  followed  by  1,100  Bazingers  (untrained  soldiers  from 
Dar-Fertit  ^-),  sent  by  the  Mudir  of  the  Bahr-el-Ghazel 
district. 

A  relief  column  of  two  battalions  of  regular  troops  and  850 
Bashi  Bazouks,  altogether  3,000  strong,  under  Ali  Bey  Satfi, 
set  out  from  Duem  towards  the  end  of  September,  to  attempt 
to  raise  the  siege  of  Bara.  It  suffered  terrible  privations  on 
the  way,  the  rebels  having  filled  in  all  the  wells  along  the 
road  between  Abu  Shoka  and  Bara  (seven  days'  march). 
The  troops  had  almost  nothing  but  the  juice  of  wild  melons 
and  dhoora  stalks  to  quench  their  thu'st.  They  were  con- 
tinually hai'assed  by  the  enemy,  but  were  not  attacked  in 
force  till  they  approached  El  Kona,  when  Ali  Satfi  Bey  and 

21  The  information  concerning  the  events  of  the  rebellion  up  to  the 
arrival  of  Lieut. -Colonel  Stewart  at  Kartoum  is  derived  ahnost  entirely 
from  native,  sources,  and  it  is  consequently  impossible  to  put  much 
reliance  on  the  statements  as  to  the  extent  of  the  losses  in  the  various 
engagements.  It  is  even  difficult  to  ascertain  the  correct  dates  of  the 
principal  events.  Some  accounts  state  that  the  assaults  on  El  Obeyed 
took  place  on  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th  September. 

22  South  of  the  country  of  the  Baggara  Arabs,  and  west  of  Bahr-el- 
Ghazel. 


APPENDICES.  417 

all  the  senior  officers  were  killed.  The  losses  of  the  Egyp- 
tians amounted  to  1,100,  besides  1,150  rifles  and  a  large 
quantity  of  stores  and  ammunition.  The  remainder  of  the 
troops  were  at  length  rallied  by  a  eaptaki,  and  succeeded  in 
driving  off  the  enemy.  They  then  continued  the  march  to 
Bai-a,  and  were  met  some  distance  from  the  town  by  the 
garrison,  which  had  come  out  to  their  assistance.  The  Mahdi 
was  then  encamped  at  a  water  station  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Bara.  On  the  25th  October  the  garrison  made  a  sortie,  and 
attacked  and  defeated  him,  but  subsequently  retired  within 
the  entrenchments. 

After  the  repulses  at  El  Obeyed  and  Bara,  the  Mahdi  was 
deserted  by  many  of  his  followers,  and  his  forces  in  Kordofan 
appear  to  have  been  quite  shattered  for  the  time.  So  much 
was  the  danger  for  Kordofan  thought  to  be  over,  that,  when 
the  Mudir  of  Darfur  appeared  at  Omchanga  about  the  end  of 
October  with  a  considerable  armed  force,  his  proffered  assist- 
ance was  declined. 

A  report  having  reached  Kartoum  that  the  above-mentioned 
relief  coliunn  had  been  totally  destroyed,  the  Governor-General 
telegraphed  to  Cairo  that  he  must  have  reinforcements  of  at 
least  10,000  men.  He  stated  that  ^vithout  a  large  force  at  his 
disposal  the  insurrection  would  spread  through  all  parts  of  the 
Soudan,  and  that  then  the  pacification  of  the  country  would 
require  an  army  of  at  least  four  times  the  strength  of  that  for 
which  he  asked. 

During  Arabi's  short  tenure  of  power,  he  had  but  little  time 
to  devote  to  the  affairs  of  the  Soudan,  and  no  reinforcements 
were  sent  there  ;  in  fact,  orders  were  actually  given  for  some 
of  the  troops  to  be  withdrawn  from  there  to  Egypt,  to  assist  in 
the  war  against  the  English. 

After  the  occupation  of  Cairo,  the  suppression  of  the  rebel- 
lion in  the  Soudan  was  one  of  the  first  questions  to  occupy  the 
attention  of  the  Government  of  the  Khedive.  Various  plans 
were  suggested,  and  it  was  at  length  decided,  after  the  receipt 
of  the  previously-mentioned  telegram  from  Abdel  Kader 
Pasha,  to  enlist  about  10,000  officers  and  men  Avho  had  fought 
under  Arabi  for  service  in  the  Soudan.  At  the  request  of  the 
Khedive,  several  English  officers  were  ajjpointed  to  the  staff  of 
this  force. 

By  the  beginning  of  November  between  two  and  three  thou- 
sand troops  had  already  been  concentrated  at  the  "Barrage" 
on  the  Nile  near  Cairo,  and  were  being  equi2)ped  for  the  expe- 
dition. 

The  first  detachment,  1,000  strong,  left  Suez  for  Suakin, 
whence  they  were  to  march  to  Berber  on  the  14th  November. 

Desertions   from  the  depot  at  the  "  Barrage "   were  very 


418  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

frequent.  They  were  due  to  a  rumour  among  the  soldiers 
that  they  were  to  be  transported  to  the  Soudan  as  prisoners. 
The  arms  and  ammunition  required  for  the  expedition  were 
forwarded  to  Suakin,  separately  from  the  troops,  as  a  measure 
of  precaution. 

On  the  12th  December  1,500  troops  left  Cairo  for  the  Sou- 
dan, bringing  up  the  total  contingent  already  sent  to  5,000. 

Thanks  to  the  energy  of  Al-ed-Deen  Pasha,  Governor  of 
the  Red  Sea  provinces,  steps  were  taken  at  Suakin  for  the 
speedy  despatch  of  the  reinforcements  as  soon  as  they  arrived 
from  Suez.  No  delays  occurred,  the  necessai-y  supply  of 
camels  for  the  transport  of  baggage  and  stores  having  always 
been  prepared  beforehand.  Throughout  the  revolt  of  Arabi, 
Al-ed-Deen  Pasha  had  remained  loyal,  and  had  inspired  such 
respect  for  the  Khedive  that  even  natives,  who  may  have  enter- 
tained sympathy  with  the  rebellious  movement,  did  not  dare 
to  commit  any  overt  act  of  hostility,  and  thus  public  order  and 
tranquillity  were  never  for  a  moiuent  disturbed  in  the  provinces 
over  which  he  was  Governor. 

By  the  9th  January,  1883,  the  arrivals  of  soldiers  at  tlie 
depot  at  the  "  Barrage  "  had  reached  9,500.  The  departures 
were  already  7,700.  They  included  100  dismounted  cavalry, 
100  gunners,  and  nine  battalions  of  infantry,  formed  into  three 
regiments.  The  1st  Battalion  of  the  4th  Regiment  was  on 
the  point  of  leaving. 

By  the  middle  of  February  the  last  of  these  reinforcements 
for  the  Soudan  had  left  Egypt. 

About  the  12tli  November,  1882,  a  rebel  Sheikh  attacked 
Duem,  but  he  was  defeated  and  captured,  and  subsequently 
hanged  at  Kartoum. 

On  the  loth  November  the  long  projected  canal  south  of 
Kartoum  was  commenced,  eight  hundred  to  a  thousand  yards 
in  front  of  the  town.  Its  dimensions  are  as  follows  :  length, 
when  the  rivers  are  in  flood,  5,900  yards  ;  when  at  low  water, 
6,700  ;  depth  of  ditch,  8  feet  ;  mdth  at  top,  17  feet ;  at  bottom, 
10  feet  ;  slopes  steep  ;  width  of  parapet  at  bottom,  20  feet ; 
at  top,  14  feet  ;  height,  7  feet.  The  principal  defects  of  the 
parapet  are  its  great  length,  and  the  absence  of  flanking  de- 
fence. The  idea  of  constructing  a  defensive  canal,  and  turning 
Kartoum  into  an  island,  originated  with  Musa  Pasha  in  1864. 

The  garrison  of  El  Obeyed  was  reported  to  be  still  fairly 
well  supplied  with  food  on  the  12th  December,  and  to  be  in 
good  spirits.  A  few  days  previously  it  had  sallied  out  and 
attacked  Sheikh  Mennoo,  the  leading  rebel  chief  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, killing  about  70  of  his  people. 

At  Bara,  -^  the  garrison  was  badly  off  for  food,  and  in  a 

23Bara  is  due  north  of  Obeyed. 


APPENDICES.  419 

depressed  condition.  Some  of  the  irregular  officers  with  their 
men  had  deserted  to  the  rebels.  The  Mahdi,  with  the  bulk  of 
his  forces,  was  encamped  round  the  town.  His  ranks  had  been 
much  thinned  by  desertion  and  sickness,  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
he  was  gaining  fresh  adherents  every  day.  For  the  moment 
he  had  ceased  to  take  the  offensive,  and  was  contenting  him- 
self with  blockading  Bara  and  El  Obeyed,  while  the  Makashef 
operated  with  a  large  force  on  the  Nile. 

Darfur  was  so  far  quiet,  though  the  Mahdi  was  reported  to 
be  doing  his  utmost  to  stir  up  the  tribes. 

On  the  16th  December,  Lieut.-Colonel  Stewart,  of  the  11th 
Hussai's,  arrived  at  Kartoum. 

Owing  to  the  absence  of  any  trustworthy  information,  he 
had  been  sent  by  the  British  Government  to  inquire  into  the 
true  state  of  affairs  in  the  Soudan. 

Two  battalions  of  reinforcements  from  Egypt  (the  1st  and 
2nd  Battalions,  1st  Regiment)  reached  Kartomn  early  in  De- 
cember, ^nd  formed  a  camp  at  Omdurman  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Nile,  opposite  Kartoum. 

Almost  immediately  after  their  arrival  there  were  rumours 
of  fresh  outbreak  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kawa,  and  later  on, 
in  those  of  Sennaar  and  Mesalamieh  on  the  Blue  Nile.  In- 
stead of  forming  a  relief  column  for  Kordofan,  it  was  deemed 
necessary  to  employ  these  battalions  first  in  restoring  order  on 
the  banks  of  the  Blue  and  White  Niles.  The  1st  Battalion 
was  sent  to  Shawal  on  the  White  Nile,  and  on  the  evening  of 
the  30th  December  the  2nd  Battalion  left  by  steamer  for  Me- 
salamieh. 

The  Makashef,  with  a  large  force,  was  at  Sibel  threatening 
Sennaar,  and  was  causing  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 

Abdel  Kader  Pasha  gave  orders  for  four  companies  at  Sen- 
naar and  the  garrison  of  irregulars  at  Abut  (immediately 
north  of  Sibel)  to  make  a  combined  attack  on  the  last-men- 
tioned place.  It  was  to  support  this  attack,  which  was  ordered 
for  the  4th  January,  that  the  2nd  Battalion,  1st  Regiment,  was 
sent  to  Mesalamieh. 

The  attack  was,  however,  anticipated  by  the  Makashef,  who 
took  the  offensive,  and  attacked  the  detached  post  of  Abut  on 
the  31st  December.  He  was  repulsed,  but  succeeded  in  inter- 
rupting all  communication  between  Mesalamieh  and  Sennaar. 

On  the  1st  Janviary  the  four  companies  at  Sennaar  left  for 
Sibel.  The  following  day  they  were  attacked  while  on  the 
march,  and  all  but  about  80  surrendered  to  the  rebels  after 
making  but  little,  if  any,  resistance. 

By  the  beginning  of  Januaiy  the  under-mentioned  reinforce- 
ments had  arrived  from  Egypt,  viz.  :  infantry,  5  battalions 
(4,170  men)  ;  artillery,  180  men,  with  10  mountain  guns  and 
10  rocket  troughs  ;  cavalry,  97  Circassians  clad  in  chain  ar- 


420  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

mour.  A  few  mules  had  accompanied  the  artillery,  but  there 
were  no  horses  with  the  cavalry.  With  the  exception  of  the 
two  battalions  which  had  gone  to  Shawal  and  Mesalamieh,  the 
whole  of  this  force  was  encamped  at  Omdurman,  near  Kar- 
toum.  The  troops  were  working  at  elementary  drill  and  tac- 
tics, and  making  some  progress,  but  the  officers  were,  as  a 
rule,  ignorant,  and  incapable  of  grasping  the  meaning  of  the 
simplest  movement,  unwilling  to  assume  any  responsibility,  and 
totally  devoid  of  initiative. 

Many  of  the  troops  had  superstitious  ideas  regarding  the 
power  of  the  Mahdi,  and  others  thought  that  the  Itliedive  had 
only  sent  them  to  the  Soudan  to  get  rid  of  them. 

They  were  dressed  in  long  white  cotton  shirts  and  native 
cotton  trousers.  Most  of  them  wore  coarse  leather  sandals. 
Each  man  had  a  grey  overcoat  and  hood.  The  infantry  were 
all  armed  with  Remington  rifles. 

The  tactics  of  the  Egyptians  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy 
were  to  form  battalion  or  double  company  squares.  The  troops 
were  formed  in  three  ranks,  to  give  them  confidence.  Each 
man  was  provided  with  four  or  five  crow's  feet  (iron  sjjikes 
with  four  points),  which  he  was  instructed  to  throw  in  front 
of  him  on  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The  rebels  usually 
attacked  in  several  masses. 

Early  in  January  news  was  received  of  a  disaster  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  White  Nile.  A  detachment  of  190  men 
had  been  sent  from  the  fort  of  Jura  Hadra  in  a  northerly 
direction  to  repair  the  line  of  telegraph  to  Kartoum.  When 
a  short  distance  from  the  fort,  they  were  attacked  bj^  some 
rebels  under  Fakir  Owde.'-^  The  troops  formed  square  as 
usual,  but  after  a  sliort  resistance  commenced  to  give  way,  the 
sqxiare  was  broken,  and  many  were  killed.  Half  the  party, 
however,  managed  to  rally,  and  held  out  until  a  reinforcement 
came  to  their  assistance  from  Jura  Hadra. 

On  the  2nd  January,  Abdel  Kader  Pasha  left  Kartoum  by 
steamer  to  take  personal  command  of  the  troops  operating 
between  the  Blue  and  White  Niles.  He  did  not  reach  Mesa- 
lamieh till  the  7th,  having  stopped  frequently  on  the  journey  to 
interview  the  chiefs  of  the  \illages  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 

The  town  of  Mesalamieh  is  six  miles  west  of  the  river.  On 
arrival,  the  Pasha  proceeded  immediately  to  inspect  the  bat- 
talion encamped  there  (2nd  Battalion,  1st  Regiment),  and  in- 
formed the  officers  that  he  intended  to  march  with  as  small  a 
baggage  train  as  possible.  They  protested,  and  made  all  kinds 
of  difficulties,  but  it  was  finally  decided  that  each  company 
shoidd  be  accompanied  by  four  camels  only. 

On  the  8th  January,  the  battalion,  with  some  irregular 
troops   under   Saliha  Bey,    and  some    Shukuriyeh  horsemen, 

2^  The  Fakirs  are  learned  pious  men.  The  Dervishes  are  their  satel- 
lites. 


APPENDICES.  421 

started  for  Abut.  The  order  of  march  was  in  company  col- 
umn Avith  scouts  on  both  flanks,  and  advance  and  rear  guards. 
The  country  traversed  was  a  treeless  but  well-cultivated  open 
plain,  with  many  villages  and  plenty  of  water.  The  crops 
consisted  chiefly  of  dhoora  (maize)  and  cotton.  There  were 
also  many  large  herds  of  cattle,  and  flocks  of  sheep.  The 
inhabitants  were  very  friendly,  and  freely  supplied  the  troops 
with  water,  and  even  with  bread. 

At  8  p.  M.  a  halt  was  made  at  the  Faulla  (pond)  of  El- 
Sunga.  The  troops  bivouacked,  protected  by  a  bank  which 
had,  on  a  previous  occasion,  been  thrown  up  round  the  pond. 
Ten  men  per  company  were  employed  to  patrol  during  the 
night  some  500  yards  from  the  camp. 

On  the  9th,  the  column  started  at  7  A.  m.  The  order  of 
march  was  the  same  as  on  the  preceding  day.  Two  miles  from 
the  bivouac,  the  village  of  Effena  was  passed.  This  was  the 
last  inhabited  village  met  with  on  the  road.  Further  on  they 
were  all  deserted,  the  inhabitants  having  gone  off  willingly, 
or  unwillingly,  to  join  the  rebels,  leaving  their  crops  standing, 
and  ready  for  harvesting. 

At  1.30  p.  M.  the  village  of  Abut  was  reached.  It  is  a  small 
military  station,  and  had  a  garrison  of  350  men,  who  were 
encamped  in  a  zeriba  \vith  trench  near  the  well.  When  at- 
tacked on  the  31st  December,  only  150  of  the  garrison  were 
present  ;  200  men  under  Osman  Agha  had  arrived  since  then. 
Two  new  zeribas  were  at  once  constructed,  one  for  the  regular 
troops,  and  another  for  the  irregulars.  Reconnaissances  were 
pushed  in  all  directions,  but  especially  along  the  roads  leading 
to  Kawa  via  Waliya,  and  to  Manasra,  south  of  Sibel. 

Finding  then  that  the  quelling  of  the  insurrection  in  the 
province  of  Sennaar  woidd  be  a  more  difficult  task  than  he 
had  anticipated,  the  Pasha  determined  to  call  up  the  battalion 
from  Shawal,-^  and  to  send  for  another  from  Kartoum. 

The  3rd  Battalion,  1st  Regiment,  left  Kartoum  accordingly 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  10th  January,  and  proceeded  up  the 
Blue  Nile  in  twelve  sailing  boats. 

On  the  11th  January,  Abdel  Kader  was  still  at  Abut.  On 
that  date  his  intention  was  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  3rd  Bat- 
talion, and  then  march  on  Sennaar.  Reports  had  come  in  that 
that  town  was  hard  pressed  by  a  large  body  of  rebels,  that 
Karkoj  was  again  in  their  hands,  that  the  tribe  of  Rufaa  el 
Sherk,^^  under  Sheikh  Sherif  el  Hindi,  was  in  full  revolt,  and 
the  last  mentioned  was  doing  his  best  to  induce  Aud  el  Keriui 

25  The  junction  between  the  1st  Battalion  and  Abdel  Kader's  force 
was  to  have  taken  place  on  the  15th  January,  but,  for  some  reason  or 
other,  it  did  not  take  place  till  Abdel  Kader's  arrival  at  Kawa  on  the  1st 
February. 

26  An  Arab  tribe  inhabiting;  the  country  between  Sennaar  and  Fa- 
zokl. 


422  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Bey,  the  powerful  Sheikh  of  the  Shukuriyeh,  to  join  the  move- 
ment. 

On  the  12th,  however,  it  was  reported  that  the  Sheikh  Wad 
el  Kerif,  at  the  head  of  a  large  force,  was  marching  from 
Maatiik  to  attack  Abdel  Kader,  that  he  was  forcing  all  the 
men  of  the  districts  through  which  he  passed  to  join  him,  and 
that  Fakir  Moosa,  who  was  commanding  the  rebels  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Kawa,  would  co-operate  with  him. 

This  news  compelled  the  Pasha  to  reconsider  his  decision, 
and,  instead  of  advancing  on  Sennaar,  he  resolved  to  await  the 
approach  of  the  Wad  el  Kerif. 

On  the  White  Nile,  the  Hassaniyeh  nomads  were  again 
giving  trouble.  To  pacify  this  tribe,  and  the  villages  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Karasah,-'^  the  1st  Battalion,  2nd  Regiment, 
left  Kartoum  on  the  16th  January  in  two  steamers,  and  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Wliite  Nile.  It  was  accompanied  by  the 
Vakeel  ^^  of  the  Mudiriyeh  and  some  Ulemas.  These  officials 
were  directed  to  enter  into  communication  with  the  people, 
and  to  try  to  induce  them  to  submit  quietly.  The  orders 
given  to  the  battalion  were  to  disembark  when  still  a  little 
north  of  the  village,  and  then  advance  in  close  order. 

On  the  18th,  the  steamers  reached  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
village.  Here  one  of  the  steamers  ran  aground  in  the  middle 
of  the  river.  The  other,  on  board  of  which  was  the  Bimba- 
slii*^  wth  five  companies,  pushed  up  right  abreast  of  the  vil- 
lage. Three  companies  immediately  disembarked,  lined  a  low 
sand  dyke  parallel  to  and  about  500  yards  from  the  river,  and 
opened  fire  on  some  rebels  who  were  about  2,000  yards  off. 
The  latter  advanced  to  the  attack,  but  the  severity  of  the  fire 
forced  them  to  incline  away  to  the  right  and  left  as  they  ap- 
proached. 

Three  or  four  horsemen  of  the  right-hand  party  succeeded 
in  penetrating  between  the  dyke  and  the  river,  and  fell  upon 
the  two  companies  which  had  disembarked  last,  and  were  not 
yet  formed  up.  This  was  the  signal  for  a  regular  panic,  and 
the  flight  of  all  the  Egyptians  to  the  river.  The  rebels  did 
not  pursue.  In  the  confusion  the  Bimbashi  was  killed,  some 
accounts  say  by  his  own  men,  others  by  the  enemy. 

The  other  steamer  with  the  three  remaining  companies  of 
the  battalion  having  by  this  time  come  up,  a  council  of  war 
was  held,  when  it  was  decided  that  the  battalion  was  not 
strong  enough  to  advance,  and  that  reinforcements  of  men  and 
guns  from  Kartoum  were  absolutely  necessary.  The  rebel 
force  did  not  in  reality  exceed  400  men. 

2'?  Sometimes  written  El  Gerazeh  or  Qurassa.     A  village  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  White  Nile. 
2S  Deputy  Governor. 
29  Major.' 


APPENDICES.  423 

During  the  next  few  days  the  hattalion  remained  quietly  on 
board  the  steamers  off  Karasah.  On  the  26th  January,  the 
Bimbashi  of  the  2nd  Battalion  of  the  regiment  ari-ived  from 
Kartoum  to  replace  the  Bimbashi  who  had  been  killed.  The 
steamers  were  then  lying  about  two  and  a  half  hours'  march 
from  the  village.  An  advance  was  ordered  for  3  A.  M.  on  the 
27th  so  as  to  attack  the  village  at  daybreak,  and  take  the 
rebels  by  surjjrise.  But  on  the  remonstrances  of  nearly  all  the 
officers,  who  said  that  they  would  certainly  be  killed  if  they 
marched  in  the  dark  through  an  unknown  country,  the  order 
was  cancelled,  and  that  day  nothing  was  done  except  a  short 
reconnaissance  inland.  The  Bimbashi,  however,  decided  to  at- 
tack on  the  28th.  After  the  orders  were  issued,  five  of  the 
senior  officers  proceeded  to  report  themselves  sick. 

At  3.30  A.  M.  on  the  28th  the  battalion  marched  off.  It  was 
formed  up  in  a  square,  preceded  by  an  advance  guard  and 
scouts,  and  at  daybreak  was  within  about  800  yards  of  the  vil- 
lage, from  which  it  was  separated  by  a  long,  narrow  strip  of 
forest. 

Two  companies  were  ordered  into  the  forest  to  reconnoitre 
the  path  leading  to  the  village,  bvit  the  officers  refused  to  ad- 
vance, saying  that  they  and  their  men  would  certainly  be  killed. 

During  the  delay  and  discussion  that  followed,  some  sol- 
diers, disobeying  orders,  fired  at  some  cattle  that  were  graz- 
ing near  by.  This  gave  the  alarm  to  the  rebels,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  nine  or  ten  horsemen  appeared  at  the  edge  of  the 
wood.  By  galloping  about  and  waving  their  swords,  these  men 
engaged  the  attention  of  the  troops,  and  gave  time  for  the 
removal  of  the  women  and  cattle  from  the  village.  When 
this  was  accomplished,  the  rebel  foot  advanced  through  the 
wood,  and  the  troops  immediately  began  to  fall  back.  The 
rebels,  who  did  not  exceed  350,  aud  had  no  fire-arms,  followed 
them  till  within  about  half  an  hour's  distance  of  the  steamer, 
but  generally  keeping  out  of  rifle  range.  It  is  estimated  that 
about  thirty  of  them  were  killed  or  wounded.  A  few  hours 
after  the  return  of  the  troops  to  the  boats,  the  2nd  Battalion 
of  the  2nd  Regiment,  as  well  as  two  guns  and  a  rocket  trough, 
arrived  from  Kartoum  with  the  Kaimakan  ^^  of  the  regiment. 
These  reinforcements  had  been  sent  on  receipt  of  a  direct  order 
from  the  Khedive. 

The  rebels  appear  to  have  been  subsequently  attacked  and 
defeated,  but  there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  account  of  the 
engagement. 

The  1st  Battalion,  3rd  Regiment,  and  225  Bashi  Bazouks, 
without  horses,  arrived  at  Kartoum  from  Egypt  on  the  24th 
January.    650  camels  for  transport  purposes  had  already  been 

80  Lieutenant-Colonel. 


424  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

collected  at  Kartoum,  and  400  were  expected  in  a  few  days 
from  Dongola.  According  to  the  lowest  estimate,  300  camels 
per  battalion  would  be  required  for  the  Kordofan  expedition, 
to  be  distributed  as  follows  :  For  rations,  115  ;  water,  75  ; 
ammunition,  52  ;  officers,  25  ;  sick  hospital,  &c.,  33. 

On  the  23rd  January,  Hussein  Pasha  Serri,  the  senior  mili- 
tary officer  at  Kartoum,  received  a  telegram  from  the  Khe- 
dive ordering  him  to  suspend  all  operations  and  to  concentrate 
all  the  troojjs  at  Kartoum,  pending  the  arrival  of  some  Eng- 
lish staff  officers  at  Cairo.  The  fact  of  the  Khedive  commu- 
nicating direct  with  this  officer  instead  of  with  Giegler  Pasha, 
the  representative  of  Abdel  Kader,  caused  a  great  deal  of  un- 
pleasantness. This  order  was  communicated  to  Abdel  Kader, 
then  at  Abut,  who  replied  that,  if  he  withdrew  the  troops  to 
Kartoum  the  rebellion  would  unquestionably  extend  in  the 
eastern  provinces,  and  that,  if  the  expedition  did  not  soon  leave 
for  Kordofan,  that  province  would  be  lost,  and  with  it  Darfur. 

To  return  to  the  operations  of  Abdel  Kader.  About  the 
24th  January  a  party  of  rebels  pillaged  the  village  of  Mau- 
galla,  which,  together  with  some  others  of  the  south  and  south- 
west of  Abut,  had  submitted  to  the  Government  of  the  Khe- 
dive. 

Hearing  of  this,  the  Pasha,  having  been  joined  by  the  3rd 
Battalion,  1st  Regiment,  determined  to  advance  against  a  large 
body  of  rebels,  reported  to  be  about  eight  hours'  march  from 
his  camp. 

Early  on  the  27th  he  moved  towards  the  village  of  Maatiik. 
When  about  three  hours  from  it,  the  rebels  were  observed  on 
a  plain  on  the  farther  side  of  a  small  wood.  The  troops  were 
at  once  halted  in  the  open,  about  500  yards  from  the  wood, 
and  formed  into  square. 

The  rebels,  after  a  short  halt  for  prayer,  advanced  through 
the  wood,  but,  contrary  to  expectation,  halted  again  at  the  near 
edge,  and  ^Yad  Eyoub,  a  revolted  Beuluk  Bashi  of  irregulars, 
with  some  negroes,  opened  fire  on  the  troops,  killing  one  and 
wounding  five.  The  square  then  fired,  and  after  some  minutes 
the  rebels  commenced  to  retire,  pursued  by  the  irregular  cav- 
alry. In  this  affair  Faki  Moosa  was  wounded.  The  losses  of 
the  rebels  are  estimated  at  600  killed  and  wounded. 

In  the  retreat  the  rebels  broke  up  into  two  parties,  one, 
under  Sheikh  Wad-el-Kerif,  went  in  a  southwesterly  direction 
towards  Goz  Abu  Djuma,^^  and  the  other,  under  Faki  Moosa 
and  Faki  Mohammed  Abu  Shueb,  retired  to  the  village  of 
Baatuk  on  the  road  to  Kawa. 

Against  the  latter,  the  Pasha  directed  the  whole  of  his 
available  cavalry  and  camel  corps,  altogether  about  300  men. 

31  Sometimes  written  Goz  Aboii  Goumeh. 


APPENDICES.  425 

This  force  came  up  with  the  I'ebels  at  3  a.m.  on  the  28th,  and 
totally  defeated  them,  killing  Abu  Shneb. 

On  the  1st  February  Abd-el-Kader,  with  his  two  battalions, 
reached  Kawa,  where  he  met  the  1st  Battalion,  1st  Regiment, 
from  Shawal.  On  the  3rd  February  this  force  was  increased 
by  the  arrival  of  the  1st  and  2nd  battalions  2nd  Regiment, 
which  had  marched  along  the  river  bank  from  Karasah,  per- 
forming, according  to  their  own  account,  prodigies  of  valour  on 
the  road. 

On  the  3rd  February  Abd-el-Kader  left  Kawa  by  steamer 
for  Kartoum  leaving  orders  — 

(1.)  That  the  three  battalions  of  the  1st  Regiment  wei'C  to 
march  at  once  to  Wad  el  Medinet  on  the  Blue  Nile, 
where  he  would  joiu  them  about  the  15th  for  an  ad- 
vance on  Sennaar  ;  and 

(2.)  That  the  two  battalions  of  the  2nd  Regiment,  under  the 
Kaimakan,  were  to  attack  the  rebels  at  Abu  Djuma. 

Towards  the  end  of  January  it  was  rumoured  in  Kartoum 
that  the  Kababish  Arabs  had  gone  over  to  the  Mahdi,  or  rather 
to  the  Faki  Mamie,  who  commanded  the  rebels  in  Northern 
Kordofan.  As  the  Kababish  extend  as  far  north  as  Dongola, 
fears  were  entertained  that  the  rebellion  might  spread  to  that 
province,  and  early  in  February  it  was  reported  that  the  na- 
tives about  Debbeh  ^^  were  becoming  very  restless.  Some 
Bashi  Bazouks  were  sent  there  to  maintain  order. 

About  the  10th  February  the  troops  in  the  camp  at  Omdur- 
man  comprised  :  — 

4  battalions  of  Egyptian  infantry  (3,200  men) . 
420  Bashi  Bazouks. 
1,100  Negro  recruits. 

90  dismounted  cavalry,  and  a  few  artillerymen. 

Their  health  was  very  good. 

On  the  11th  February,  a  messenger  arrived  at  Kartoum  from 
the  west  confirming  the  rumours  that  Bara  had  fallen  on  the 
5th  January.  The  garrison  was  said  to  be  fairly  well  treated 
by  the  Arabs,  and  only  the  officers  were  kept  in  confinement. 
By  this  surrender  2,000  troops,  besides  a  considerable  quantity 
of  arms  and  ammunition,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels. 

Four  days  afterwards  the  news  arrived  that  El  Obeyed  had 
capitulated  on  the  17th  January,  and  that  the  whole  of  Kordo- 
fan was  in  the  hands  of  the  Mahdi. 

After  the  repulse  of  the  assaults  on  El  Obeyed,  in  September, 
1882,  various  plans  were  proposed  for  attacking  the  Mahdi, 
but  the  Council  of  War  was  always  of  opinion  that  the  troops 
available  were  too  few,  and  the  garrison  relapsed  into  a  state 
of  inactivity,  which  continued,  so  far  as  any  operations  of  im- 

82  On  the  left  bank  of  the  Nile,  near  Old  Dongola. 


426  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

portance  are  concerned,  till  the  end  of  the  siege.  Small  sor- 
ties of  two  or  three  hundred  men  were,  however,  of  frequent 
occurrence,  generally  resulting  in  the  capture  of  some  cattle 
and  grain. 

The  besiegers,  on  their  side,  established  themselves  com- 
fortably around  the  town,  some  availing  themselves  of  the 
ruined  houses,  and  others  building  straw  huts,  and  patiently 
awaited  the  inevitable  surrender. 

Such  was  the  attitude  taken  by  both  sides  till  the  13th  Jan- 
uary, by  which  date  the  supply  of  food  was  almost  exhausted, 
and  everything  eatable  was  being  sold  at  fabulous  prices. 

On  the  14th,  the  Mahdi  sent  letters  to  Mahmoud  Said,  the 
Governor  of  the  Western  Soudan,  and  all  the  principal  offi- 
cers, telling  them  that  they  had  held  out  long  enough,  and,  if 
they  would  surrender,  he  would  guarantee  the  safety  of  their 
lives.  On  the  16th,  a  party  of  rebels  appeared  outside  the  en- 
trenchments to  open  negotiations  for  a  capitulation.  Mah- 
moud Said  Pasha  was  not  present  at  the  inter\dew  which  fol- 
lowed, but  the  greater  part  of  the  garrison  appear  to  have 
agreed  to  the  terms  that  were  proposed. 

During  the  night  many  of  the  garrison  deserted.  At  day- 
break on  the  17th  the  insurgents  advanced  against  the  town  in 
force.  The  Pasha  ordered  what  remained  of  the  garrison  to 
fire,  but  the  infantry  refused  to  do  so,  and  passed  over  to  the 
enemy,  while  the  artillery  fired  a  few  salvoes  in  a  direction  that 
could  do  no  harm  to  the  assailing  force.  TJie  Pasha  then  un- 
derstood that  he  was  completely  abandoned  by  his  men,  and 
consented  to  surrender  and  make  submission  to  the  Mahdi, 
who  was  then  at  an  hour  and  a  half's  distance  from  the  town. 

On  entering  the  town,  the  Mahdi  proceeded  immediately  to 
the  principal  mosque. 

Mahmoud  Said  Pasha  and  All  Sherif  Bey,  the  Miulir  of 
Kordofan,  were  at  first  treated  Avith  consideration,  but  on 
their  refusal  to  give  up  their  money,  they  were  seized  and  im- 
prisoned. 8,000Z.  sterling  in  gold  was  found  concealed  in  the 
house  of  the  former,  and  7,00OL  in  that  of  the  latter. 

Altogether,  although  little  or  no  money  was  found  in  tlie 
public  treasury,  the  ]\Iahdi  is  said  to  have  taken  more  than 
100,000/.  from  the  officials  and  notables.  He  kept  all  the 
booty  for  himself,  and  distributed  none  of  it  among  his  follow- 
ers. Tliis  was  a  source  of  great  dissatisfaction,  and  subse- 
quently caused  many  to  waver  in  their  allegiance. 

The  garrison  at  the  time  of  the  surrender  numbered  about 
3,500.  They  were  made  to  swear  fidelity  to  the  Mahdi,  en- 
listed in  his  service,  and  told  oif  by  companies  to  the  various 
banners.  About  0,000  Remington  rifles,  five  gims,  and  one 
rocket  trough  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  rebels.     As  regards 


APPENDICES.  427 

provisions,  only  200  ardebs  ^^  of  dhoora  were  found  in  the  town. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  siege  famine  had  prevailed,  and  the 
inhabitants  had  kept  themselves  alive  by  chewing  raw  india- 
rubber,  varied  with  a  small  ration  of  dhoora. 

All  the  books  and  Government  papers  were  destroyed,  and 
the  town  was  completely  looted. 

The  Mahdi  took  up  his  residence  in  the  Government  House, 
and  appointed  a  Governor  of  the  town,  but  did  not  make  any 
attempt  to  form  a  regular  administration.  The  following  is  a 
translation  of  a  proclamation  issued  by  him  :  — 

"  From  the  servant  of  his  Lord  Mohammed  el  Mahdi,  son 
of  Said  Abdallah,  to  all  the  fervent  proselytes. 

"We  have  appointed  as  your  Prince  our  dear  Sheik  Man- 
sour,  son  of  Abd  el  hakem.  Execute  his  orders  and  com- 
mands, and  follow  him  in  the  path  of  battle. 

"  He  who  submits  to  him  submits  to  ixs  ;  he  who  disobeys 
him  disobeys  us,  and  disobeys  God  Himself  and  His  Prophet. 
Let  all  show  penitence  before  God,  and  abandon  all  bad  and 
forbidden  habits,  such  as  the  degrading  acts  of  the  flesh,  the 
use  of  wine  and  tobacco,  lying,  bearing  false  witness,  disobe- 
dience to  parents,  brigandage,  the  non-restitution  of  goods  to 
others,  the  clajjping  of  hands,  dancing,  improper  signs  with 
the  eyes,  tears  and  lamentations  at  the  bed  of  the  dead,  slan- 
derous language,  calumny,  and  the  company  of  strange  wo- 
men. Clothe  your  women  in  a  decent  way,  and  let  them  be 
careful  not  to  speak  to  unknown  persons.  All  those  who  do  not 
pay  attention  to  these  principles  disobey  God  and  His  Prophet, 
and  they  shall  be  punished  in  accordance  with  the  law. 

"  Say  your  prayers  at  the  prescribed  hours. 

"  Give  the  tenth  part  of  your  goods,  handing  it  to  our  Prince, 
Sheikh  Mansour,  in  order  that  he  may  forward  it  to  the  treas- 
ury of  Islam. 

"  Adore  God,  and  hate  not  each  other,  but  assist  each  other 
to  do  good." 

At  the  bottom  of  this,  the  seal  of  the  Mahdi  was  affixed. 

On  the  13th  February,  Abdel  Kader  Pasha  left  Kartoum 
to  rejoin  the  troops  at  Wad  of  Medinet,  who  had  marched 
from  Kawa.  He  proceeded  thence  towards  Sennaar,  his  force 
consisting  of  the  three  battalions  of  tlie  1st  Regiment,  about 
600  Bashi  Bazouks,  some  Sakkeyer  horsemen,  and  a  few  guns 
and  rocket  troughs.^'* 

On  the  22nd  February  he  reached  Meshoa-el-Dakhin,  about 
eight  hours'  march  from  Sennaar.  That  evening,  about  8  p.m., 
a  large  body  of  rebels  under  the  Makashef,  who  had  raised 
the  siege  of  Sennaar,  approached  the  camp.     Some  shots  were 

33  One  arcleb  =  5-|  bushels.  84  Number  not  stated. 


428  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

exchanged,  but  the  rebels,  finding  the  soldiers  on  the  alert, 
retired.  The  following  day,  Friday,  a  halt  was  made,  and  the 
neighbourhood  was  thoroughly  reconnoitred.  Abd  el  Kader 
received  a  letter  from  the  Makashef,  in  which,  after  testify- 
ing to  the  di\ane  mission  and  the  invmcibility  of  the  Mahdi,  he 
invited  the  Pasha  to  submit,  saying  that  he  had  a  regard  for 
him,  and  was  anxious  to  spare  his  life  and  spiritual  hereafter. 

Early  on  the  24th,  the  march  was  continued.  On  approach- 
ing Meshra-el-Dai,  the  Makashef  was  discovered  with  10,000 
or  12,000  followers  in  some  bushy  ground  close  to  the  river. 
The  guns  and  rockets  at  once  opened  fire  on  them.  After 
some  time  the  rebels  came  out  into  the  open  and  attacked  the 
troops. 

They  advanced  with  great  determination,  but  after  a  severe 
fight  were  dispersed  and  pursued  by  the  cavalry.  The  engage- 
ment lasted  from  10  a.  m.  till  1  p.  m.  Of  the  troops  27  were 
wounded.  The  rebel  loss  was  estimated  at  2,000  killed,  includ- 
ing Sheikh  Woad  el  Kerif,  of  Maatuk  notoriety.  Many  of  the 
rebels  fled  into  the  river,  where  they  were  cut  down  by  the 
cavahy.  The  Makashef  succeeded  in  escaping.  Some  of  the 
rebels  used  fire-arms,  and  Abd  el  Kader  had  a  narrow  escape, 
his  watch-chain  being  broken  by  a  bullet. 

Saturday  night  the  troops  remained  halted,  but  on  Sunday 
the  25th  the  march  was  continued  to  Seimaar.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  tlie  villages  along  the  road  came  in,  and  tendered  their 
submission. 

The  route  between  Semiaar  and  Kartonm,  both  by  land  and 
water,  was  reported  to  be  safe.  A  regular  postal  ser\-ice  was 
immediately  re-established,  and  steps  were  taken  for  repairing 
the  line  of  telegraph. 

After  the  defeat  at  Meshra-el-Dai  on  the  24th,  the  insur- 
gents appear  to  have  split  themselves  up  into  three  bodies  : 
one  under  Abdul  Ghaffar  retired  to  Karkoj  and  joined  Faki 
Sherif  ;  another  under  the  Makashef  took  up  a  position  at  Jebel 
Sekhedy,  about  six  hours  west  of  Semiaar;  and  a  third  came 
into  Sennaar  and  gave  themselves  up. 

Abd  el  Kader' s  scouts  having  brought  in  intelligence  of  the 
Makashef's  whereabouts,  a  force  of  1,200  irregulars,  made  up 
of  Shukuriyeh  and  Aburoff  Arabs,  under  Saleh  Agha,  was  di- 
rected against  him.  An  engagement  took  place  on  the  4th 
March  at  Sekhedy,  which  resulted  in  the  total  defeat  of  the 
rebels,  who  lost  547  killed,  among  whom  were  Sheikhs  Omr 
and  Amr,  brothers  of  the  Makashef,  and  Sadyk,  his  nephew. 
The  casualties  among  Saleh  Agha's  force  were  only  two  men 
wounded. 

Abd  el  Kader  then  proposed  marching  south  up  the  Blue 
Nile,  and  pacifying  the  country  as  far  as  Karkoj,  after  which 
he  intended  to  cross  the  river,  and  advance  eastward  against 


APPENDICES,  429 

the  revolted  Rufaa-el-Sherk  and  Kawakli  tribes  in  the  country 
between  the  rivers  Diuder  and  Rahad.  But,  as  will  be  seen 
further  on,  he  was  superseded  before  he  had  time  to  carry  out 
these  plans. 

On  the  20th  February,  the  Pashas  Al-ed-Din  and  Suleiman 
Nyasi  reached  Kartoum.  The  latter  was  to  take  command  of 
the  troops,  but  the  mission  of  the  former  was  kept  secret, 
though  it  was  rumoured  that  he  was  to  be  appointed  Governor- 
General  of  the  Soudan. 

On  the  4th  March  Colonel  Hicks  ^^  reached  Kartoum,  and 
with  him  the  undermentioned  English  Officers,  viz. :  —  Lieut.- 
Colonel  Hon.  J.  Colborue,^^  Lieut.-Colonel  de  Coetlogon,**'' 
Major  Martin,^^  Major  Farquhar,^^  Captam  Warner,  Captain 
Massey,*^  Captain  Evans,  Captain  Walker,^i  and  Surgeon- 
Major  Rosenberg. 

Colonel  Hicks  had  been  appointed  Chief  of  the  Staff  of  the 
Army  of  the  Soudan,  with  local  rank  of  Major-General,  but  it 
was  intended  that  he  should  direct,  and  be  responsible  for,  all 
preparations  and  operations,  —  in  fact,  that  he  should  in  reality 
be  the  Commander-in-Chief,  while  nominally  holding  a  subor- 
dinate post. 

The  Mahdi's  movement  being,  at  any  rate  ostensibly,  a  re- 
ligious one,  it  was  deemed  inadvisable  to  place  at  the  head  of 
the  Egyptian  Army  of  the  Soudan  a  foreigner  and  a  non-Mus- 
sulman, lest  the  insurgent  leader  might  make  capital  out  of 
this  to  arouse  still  further  the  fanaticism  of  his  followers. 

Suleiman  Nyasi,  whose  military  career  dates  back  to  the 
days  of  Mahomet  Ali  and  the  Crimean  War,  was  consequently 
named  to  the  chief  command,  but  on  the  understanding  that 
he  was  to  pay  strict  attention  to,  and  carefully  follow  out, 
General  Hicks's  instructions  and  plans  ;  but  his  indolence, 
apathy,  ignorance,  and  in  many  instances  apparent  malignity 
and  jealousy,  caused  him  frequently  to  act  in  anything  but 
the  spirit  of  the  instructions  given  him  at  Cairo. 

On  the  8th  March,  Lieut.-Colonel  Stewart  left  Kartoum  for 
Egypt,  travelling  by  v/ay  of  Sennaar,  Katarif,  Kassala,  and 
Massowah. 

On  the  18th  March,  Major  Farquhar,  who  had  been  on  a 
recomiaissance  up  the  White  Nile,  returned  to  Kartoum.  He 
reported  the  inhabitants  along  the  western  bank  of  the  river 
to  be  hostile. 

Four  thousand  five  hundred  rebels  and  1,800  Baggara  Arab 

35  Late  Bombay  Staff  Corps. 

36  Late  lltli  Foot. 

37  Late  70th  Foot. 

88  Late  Captain  of  Baker's  Horse  in  South  Africa. 

89  Late  Guards,  and  subsequently  15th  Foot. 

*"  Late  Duke  of  Cambridge's  Own  Middlesex  Jtegiinent. 
41  Late  the  Buffs,  East  Kent  Regiment. 


430  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

cavalry  were  assembled  about  Marabieli  and  Abu  Djuma,  and 
at  Jebel  Ain  there  was  a  considerable  body,  which  had  lately 
been  reinforced  from  Kordofan.  The  Baggaras  had  quarrelled 
with  the  Mahdi  regarding  the  booty  taken  at  El  Obeyed,  and 
had  seized  and  carried  off  some  of  it.  The  troops  at  the  posts 
along  the  river  were  in  rags,  and  from  four  to  six  months  in 
arrears  of  pay. 

News  from  Kordofan  stated  that  the  Mahdi's  force  was 
about  one  hundred  thousand  strong,  that  it  had  dispersed  for 
the  moment,  but  could  be  quickly  reassembled.  The  chiefs 
met  at  El  Obeyed  every  Friday  for  orders,  but  the  Sheiks  of 
the  Baggara  did  not  attend. 

Taking  advantage  of  this  discontent.  General  Ilicks  was 
trying  to  open  communications  with  the  last-mentioned,  and 
hoped  to  arrange  a  meeting  at  Dem. 

On  the  26th  March  Al-ed-Deen  Pasha  was  publicly  pro- 
claimed at  Kartoum  as  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan,  and, 
on  the  same  day,  Hussein  Pasha  left  for  Sennaar  to  inform 
Abdel  Kader  Pasha  of  his  removal  from  office,  and  to  relieve 
him  of  his  military  command. 

General  Hicks  and  his  Staff  left  Kartoum  on  the  3rd  April 
by  steamer,  and  reached  Kawa  on  the  6th.  A  force  of  about 
5,000  men  had  been  collected  at  the  latter  place,  consisting  of — 

5^  battalions  of  regular  infantry,  *'^ 

^  battalion  of  negroes, 
5    gims, 
2    Nordenfeldts,  and  some  Bashi-Bazouks. 

On  the  10th  April  General  Hicks  made  a  reconnaissance  up 
the  river.  He  started  at  6  A.  m.  on  the  steamer  Bordeen,  tak- 
ing with  him  one  mountain  gun,  two  Nordenfeldts,  and  50 
Bashi-Bazouks.  After  proceeding  for  about  an  hour  and  a 
half,  the  steamer  was  fired  on  from  the  western  bank.  Higher 
up  shots  were  fired  from  many  places,  especially  opposite  the 
island  of  Abba,  where  the  rebels  had  constructed  trenches 
along  the  banks.  But  a  few  shells,  and  some  rounds  from  the 
Nordenfeldts  and  rifles,  soon  drove  them  inland.  Owing  to 
the  failure  of  fuel,  the  reconnaissance  could  not  be  continued 
as  far  as  the  ford  of  Abu-Zed.  The  steamer  returned  to  Kawa 
at  5.30  p.  M. 

On  the  14th  April,  General  Hicks  telegraphed  to  Cairo  that 

■^2  Two  of  the  battalions  were  those  of  the  2nd  Regiment,  which  had 
been  ordered  by  Abd-el-Kader  Pasha  to  operate  against  the  rebels  at 
Abu-Djuma,  but  they  had  done  absohitely  nothing.  It  is  not  known  to 
what  regiments  the  other  battalions  belonged,  and  whether  they  had  all 
been  sent  up  from  Kartoum,  or  if  part  of  the  ]st  Regiment  had  been 
withdrawn  from  Sennaar.  Owing  to  the  hostilitj^  of  the  Hassanieh 
Arabs  it  had  been  necessary  to  reinforce  the  garrison  of  Duem  by  a  bat- 
talion, and  2,000  troops  remained  in  reserve  at  the  camp  of  Omdiirman. 


APPENDICES.  431 

he  was  anxious  to  get  to  Jebel-Ain  (eight  marches  distant), 
where  the  rebels  were  concentrating,  as  soon  as  possible,  but 
that  his  supplies  were  insufficient,  as  he  had  only  enough  for 
from  15  to  20  days  with  him,  and  nothing  was  obtainable  in  the 
country.  The  administration  of  the  army  was  most  difficult, 
owing  to  the  want  of  proper  departments,  and  the  troops  were 
several  months  in  ai-rears  of  pay.  The  steamers  were  out  of 
repair,  and  too  few  in  number  to  do  all  that  was  required  of 
them,  viz.,  to  bring  up  supplies  of  ammunition  and  food,  take 
possession  of  the  ford  at  Abu-Zed,  and  patrol  the  river  and 
stop  communication  between  the  banks.  There  was  no  store  of 
fuel;  all  had  to  be  cut  as  required. 

It  was  not  till  the  23rd  April  that  the  main  body,  nearly 
5,000  strong,  set  out  from  Kawa.  Owing  to  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  reliable  information,  General  Hicks  himself  with  a 
small  force  had  proceeded  up  the  river  on  the  22nd  to  recon- 
noitre, and  seize  the  ford  of  Abu-Zed.  On  arrival  at  the  ford, 
it  was  found  to  be  in  possession  of  a  small  body  of  rebels,  who 
were  driven  off  without  much  difficulty.  General  Hicks  re- 
mained there  on  the  23rd,  placing  boats  containing  Bashi-Ba- 
zouks,  under  the  command  of  Jahier  Bey,  in  echelon  across  the 
stream,  in  which  position  they  could  command  a  very  consider- 
able length  of  the  ford  (which  extends  about  a  mile),  and 
support  one  another  in  case  of  any  attempt  to  force  the 
passage. 

He  left  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  to  continue  the  recon- 
naissance up  the  river.  The  banks  were  found  to  be  occupied 
by  straggling  groups  of  Arabs,  with  whom  shots  were 
exchanged. 

On  the  25th,  the  Chief  of  the  Shilluk  village  of  Musran 
reported  that  the  rebels  had  left  Jebel-Ain  and  were  marching 
in  force  under  the  Makashef  to  attack  the  "  Turks  "  on  the 
march  from  Kawa. 

Having  ascertained  that  this  information  was  correct. 
General  Hicks  steamed  back  to  the  ford,  warned  Jahier  Bey, 
and,  during  the  night,  dropped  down  the  river  to  join  the 
army,  which  was  then  encamped  opposite  the  northern  end  of 
the  island  of  Abba. 

Being  in  a  favourable  position,  it  remained  halted  on  the 
26th  and  27th  in  expectation  of  an  attack.  On  the  former 
date  some  rebel  cavalry  appeared,  but  were  driven  back  with 
a  few  shells,  and  on  the  night  of  the  27th  there  were  several 
false  alarms.  The  march  was  resumed  on  the  28th.  On  the 
following  day  tents  were  struck  as  usual,  at  daybreak,  and 
the  order  was  given  to  march  at  seven  A.  M.  About  nine 
A.  M.^3     Colonel    Farquhar,  wlio   had   been   reconnoitring   in 

43  The  column  had  then  marched  about  five  miles,  and  was  close  to  the 
village  of  MarabiyeU. 


432  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

front,  reported  that  the  enemy  was  about  two  miles  off,  and 
advancing  at  a  rapid  pace.  About  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after- 
wards they  appeared  in  considerable  numbers,  both  cavalry 
and  infantry,  and  spread  out  towards  the  flanks  with  a  view  of 
attacking  the  angles  of  the  square  in  which  the  Egyj^tiau 
troops  were  formed.*'* 

They  then  advanced  quickly,  led  by  chieftains  on  horseback 
with  banners  borne  in  front  of  them.  There  was  considerable 
delay  in  getting  the  guns  into  action,*^  but  the  rebel  cavalry 
broke  as  soon  as  the  shells  commenced  falling  among  them, 
and  moved  off  the  field.  The  infantry  still  came  on  boldly, 
and  although  shot  down  in  numbers,  succeeded  in  getting  close 
enough  to  the  square  to  throw  some  spears  into  it.  But  few  of 
the  enemy  were  armed  with  rifles. 

After  half  an  hour's  fighting,  during  which  the  Egyptian 
troops  behaved  steadily  and  well,  though  they  appeared  to  have 
fired  too  high,*^  the  rebel  force  was  completely  broken  up,  and 
fled  in  confusion.  Owing  to  the  absence  of  cavalry,  the  pur- 
suit was  not  as  vigorous  as  it  would  otherwise  have  been.  The 
strength  of  the  rebels  exceeded  5,000  men.  Their  losses  in 
killed  and  wounded  were  about  500.  The  Makashef,  his  son, 
and  several  chiefs  were  among  the  slain. 

The  Khedival  troops  lost  two  killed  and  five  wounded.'*' 

After  the  action  General  Hicks,  anticipating  that  an  im- 
mediate attempt  would  be  made  by  the  rebels  to  cross  to  the 
western  bank  of  the  river  at  some  point  above  the  ford  of 
Abu-Zed,  embarked  on  board  the  steamer  Bordeen  at  Goza- 
boime-Gomme,  and  proceeded  up  the  river,  taking  with  him 
two  Nordenfeldt  guns,  a  rifled  howitzer,  and  150  Bashi  Ba- 

*4The  troops  both  marched  and  fmight,  formed  up  in  square,  with 
camels  and  baggage  in  the  centre,  and  a  few  mounted  Bashi  Bazouks 
and  men  on  dromedaries  in  front  to  feel  the  way.  In  this  formation  the 
arnw  could  hardly  accomplish  eight  miles  a  day,  six  being  the  usual 
march,  and  it  could  consequently  only  strike  a  blow  when  and  where  the 
enemy  pleased. 

"iS  The  Nordenfeldts  were  placed  at  the  angles  of  the  square,  and  the 
guns  in  the  faces.  Owing  to  obstacles  thrown  in  the  way  by  Suleiman 
Pasha,  who  was  nominally  in  chief  command,  General  Hicks  had  gi'eat 
difficulty  in  getting  any  of  them  to  open  tire. 

••6  At  the  battle  of  Marabiyeh,  as  the  engagement  of  the  29th  April 
is  called,  the' Egyptians  were  formed  in  four  ranks,  but  the  front  rank 
was  never  made  to  lie  down,  and  the  fourth  or  rear  rank,  not  being 
able  to  reach  over  three  men's  shoulders,  fired  their  rifles  up  into  the 
air. 

■^7  Of  the  English  officers,  Colonels  Colborne  and  de  Coetlogon  had 
marched  with  the  army  from  Kawa,  Colonel  Farquhar,  Captains  Massey 
and  Evans,  and  Dr.  Rosenberg  had  accompanied  General  Hicks  on  his 
reconnaissance  up  the  river. 

The  others  were  not  present  at  the  battle  of  Marabiyeh.  Major 
Martin  and  Captain  Walker  had  been  invalided  home,  and  Major 
Warner  was  with  Hussein  Pasha  on  the  Blue  Nile. 


APPENDICES.  433 

zouks.  At  the  ford  of  Abii-Zed  he  picked  up  the  steamer 
Fascher,  with  Jahier  Bey  and  90  Bashi  Bazouks. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  the  rebels  were  found  to  be  crossing  in 
large  numbers  at  a  regular  place  of  passage,  about  ten  miles 
below  Jebel  Ain.  They  were  driven  inland  from  both  banks 
■with  some  loss.  Numbers  had  already  crossed,  but  a  large 
body  with  camels  and  baggage  still  remained  on  the  eastern 
bank.  In  the  hope  of  capturing  these,  General  Hicks  sent  to 
Suleiman  Pasha  asking  him  to  hurry  on  as  fast  as  possible. 
But  the  Egyptians  had  no  cavalry,  and  the  infantry  marched 
so  slowly  that  it  took  them  more  than  two  days  to  accomplish 
the  twelve  miles  between  their  camp  and  the  place  of 
passage. 

General  Hicks  himself  went  towards  Jebel  Ain,  landed,  and 
sent  a  party  up  the  mountain.  On  their  return  they  stated 
that  not  a  sign  of  a  rebel  was  to  be  seen,  and  the  Shilluks  also 
reported  that  the  district  had  been  evacuated. 

On  the  3rd  May,  General  Hicks  rejoined  the  main  body, 
then  encamped  near  Jebel  Ain.  Suleiman  Pasha  was  anxious 
to  march  through  the  district,  as  he  was  of  opinion  that  there 
were  several  tribes  in  the  neighbourhood  to  whom  it  was  of 
importance  to  show  the  army.  But  it  was  finally  decided  to 
return  to  Duem  at  once,  and  prepare  for  an  attack  on  Schatt, 
where  the  rebels  were  reported  to  be  assembling  in  large 
numbers. 

The  victory  of  the  29th  had  a  very  great  moral  effect,  and 
many  of  the  Baggara  and  other  chiefs  subsequentlj^  surren- 
dered. General  Hicks,  unaccompanied  by  any  troops,  received 
several  of  them  on  the  western  bank  of  the  river,  and  thus 
gave  confidence.  Negotiations  with  the  Kababish  Arabs  were 
also  in  progress. 

Towards  the  end  of  May  the  rebels,  who  had  been  threaten- 
ing Duem,  dispersed,  and  it  was  reported  that  the  western 
bank  of  the  river  was  free  from  hostile  bands.  The  main 
body  of  the  amiy  was  then  withdrawn  to  Kartoum,  leaving 
garrisons  at  Kawa  and  Duem.  On  the  Blue  Nile,  Sennaar 
and  Wod-Medinet  were  garrisoned. 

The  expedition  to  Kordofan  could  not  be  undertaken  till 
after  the  rains,  when  the  wells  in  the  desert  would  be  full, 
and  pools  of  water  would  have  been  formed. 

On  the  15th  May,  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan 
telegraphed  to  Cairo  that  he  had  only  £40,000  in  the  treasury 
at  Kartoum,  and  that  he  tliought  it  inadvisable  to  enforce  the 
taxes  for  fear  of  producing  further  disaffection  among  the 
natives. 

Arrears  to  the  amount  of  £81,000  were  still  owing  in  the 
Mudiriyehs  of  Kartoum  and  Sennaar  for  pay,  food,  and  trans- 
port.    He  was  anxious  that   in  future  all  salaries  should  be 


434  GENERAL    GORDO^'S  JOURNALS. 

paid  punctually  both  to  the  officials  and  to  the  military,  and 
that  the  Government  should  be  able  to  meet  its  other  ex- 
penses at  the  proj^ei-  time.  He  requested  that  large  sums 
of  money  might  be  forwarded  to  liim,  and  estimated  at 
£46,000  his  monthly  expenditure  for  the  troops  at  Kartoum, 
Sennaar,  the  military  posts  on  the  White  and  Blue  Niles, 
Fashoda,  the  Equatorial  Provinces,  and  Balir-Gazelle,  but 
exclusive  of  those  at  Dongola,  Berber,  and  in  the  Red  Sea 
Provinces. 

In  reply  to  the  above,  Cherif  Pasha  telegraphed,  on  the 
11th  June,  that  the  under-mentioned  amounts  would  be  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Governor-General  during  the  current 
vear,  viz.  :  — 

£ 
Seven  months'  pay  for  the  army  actually 
engaged  in  the  war         .....    13,000 

Rations  for  seven  months 32,000 

Forage  (Fourrage) 37,500 

Purchase  of  camels 25.000 

Arrears 80,000 

Total  .        .        .  187,500 

But  the  amount  actually  in  the 
Treasury  at  Kartoum  was  to 
be  deducted  from  this  .        .     40,000 

£147,000 

leaving  £147,000  to  be  sent  from  Cairo. 

Reinforcements  to  the  number  of  3,000  men  were  to  be 
sent  to  the  Soudan,  but  all  the  expenses  connected  with 
them,  wliich  were  estimated  at  £40,000,  would  be  defrayed 
by  the  Egyptian  Government. 

For  the  expenses  of  the  Civil  Administration  and  the  pay 
of  soldiers  not  actually  engaged  in  the  war,  the  Governor- 
General  was  ordered  to  do  the  best  he  could  with  the  revenues 
of  the  Soudan,  as  the  Egyptian  Government  would  not  be 
able  to  furnish  him  with  more  than  the  sums  already  specified. 

On  the  13th  May  General  Hicks  telegraphed  to  Cairo  re- 
questing that  he  might  be  put  in  indisputable  command  of 
the  army,  as  otherwise  he  could  not  be  responsible  for  the 
success  of  the  expedition  to  Kordofan.  It  was  subsequently 
rumoured  on  several  occasions  that  he  had  requested  to  be 
relieved  of  his  post  on  account  of  the  systematic  obstruc- 
tions he  met  Avith  from  native  officials.  These  reports  were 
always  officially  contradicted.  However,  on  the  2nd  August, 
Renter's  agent  at  Alexandria  announced  that  the  Governor- 
General  of  the  Soudan  had  been  appointed  to  command  the 
troops  in  that  province,  and  that  Suleiman  Pasha  had  been 
recalled,  and  appointed  Governor  of  the  Red  Sea  Provinces. 
By  this  means  it  was  expected   that   General   Hicks    would 


APPENDICES.  435 

regain  complete  liberty  of  action,  thongh  Al  eel  Deen  Pasha 
was  to  accompany  the   expedition  to  Kordofan. 

During  the  absence  of  the  latter,  Hussein  Bey,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  of  the  2nd  Regiment,  was  to  act  as  his  deputy  at 
Kartoum.  Kashid  Pasha,  who  was  then  Governor  of  the 
Red  Sea  Provinces,  was  to  be  given  the  command  of  one  of 
the  brigades  of  the   Expeditionary  Force. 

The  Mahdi  only  remained  master  of  Kordofan.  All  re- 
ports from  there  tended  to  show  that  serious  dissensions  had 
broken  out  between  him  and  his  chiefs,  and  that  the  number 
of  his  adherents  was  daily  diminishing.  His  position  ap- 
peared to  be  getting  critical.  From  the  north  he  was  threat- 
ened by  the  Egyptian  army,  and  to  the  east  the  White  Nile, 
which  was  constantly  patrolled  by  Egyptian  boats,  would 
bar  any  attempt  at  escape  in  that  direction.  On  the  south, 
King  Adam  of  Takalle  had  sworn  to  kill  the  Mahdi  if  he 
attempted  to  pass  through  his  country  to  Jebel  Gedir,  whither 
he  had  sent  his  family  and  most  of  the  booty  captured  at 
El  Obeyed.  King  Adam  was  also  taking  steps  to  arrange 
with  Sheikh  Asaker,  chief  of  the  Baggara  Gimeh  Arabs,  in- 
habiting the  desert  from  the  island  of  Abba  towards  Takalle, 
a  joint  offensive  movement  against  southern  Kordofan.  In 
the  middle  of  July  it  was  stated  that  the  Mahdi  had  given 
tip  all  hopes  of  resistance,  and  was  only  anxious  about  his 
personal  safety  ;  and  that  it  was  his  intention  to  try  to  reach 
the  copper  mines  in  the  southwest  of  Darfur,  not  far  from 
Jebel  Mara.  In  order  to  do  this,  however,  he  would  have 
to  make  a  long  detour  to  avoid  an  encounter  with  the  force 
under  Slatin  Bey,  Governor  of  Darfur. 

Very  little  news  has  been  received  of  the  real  state  of 
affairs  in  that  far-off  province.  It  appears  that,  on  receipt 
of  orders  from  Cairo,  a  messenger  was  despatched  from 
Kartoum  to  El  Fascher  in  April  of  the  present  year  with  the 
following  instructions  for  Slatin  Bey,  —  viz.,  to  concentrate 
the  garrisons  of  Darfur  at  El  Fascher,  attempt  to  organise  a 
national  Government  under  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  former 
kings,  and  then  withdraw  from  the  country,  either  to  Don- 
gola  or  Bahr  el  Ghazel.  Report  states  that  Slatin  Bey 
subsequently  evacuated  El  Fascher,  defeated  a  tribe  of  hos- 
tile Hamr  Arabs,  and  then  intrenched  himself  at  Omchanga, 
in  an  important  strategical  position  on  the  road  to  El  Obeyed, 
where  he  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  garrison  of  Foga  before 
undertaking  any  further  operations. 

The  above-mentioned  orders  do  not  appear  to  have  reached 
Slatin  Bey,  for  on  the  30th  June  he  wrote  as  follows  to  the 
Governor-General  of  the  Soudan  from  Dara,  200  miles  south 
of  El-Fascher  :  — 

"  Up  to  this  date  I  have  fought  27  battles  of  more  or  less 


436  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

impcrtance,  and  have  been  twice  wonnded.  I  am  besides 
suffering  from  Guinea  worm,  and  have  consequently  been 
obliged  to  retire  on  Dar  Demittala,  but  not  before  killing  in 
battle  the  Khalifa  of  Mohammed  Ahmet,  Bishari  Wal-ud- 
Bakis. 

"  I  have  not  only  to  fight  external  but  internal  enemies. 
Many  of  the  Arab  officers  intrigue  against  me,  and  seek  to 
imd  ermine  my  authority.  They  spread  rumours  that  Arabi  has 
driven  all  the  Europeans  out  of  Egypt,  and  that  I  myself  have 
been  deprived  of  my  functions." 

"  After  the  commencement  of  the  rainy  season,  fighting  -will 
begin  again  with  the  llazagatt,  Habanieh  and  Mali  Arabs,  and 
I  am  greatly  in  need  of  help,  for  my  best  officers  and  men 
have  fallen,  and  ammunition  is  beginning  to  draw  to  an  end." 

"  I  ask  your  Excellency  to  send  me  a  letter  not  in  cypher, 
setting  forth  my  absolute  power,  and  I  take  upon  myself,  as 
long  as  I  am  alive,  the  responsilaility  of  keeping  the  Province 
of  Darfur  for  the  Government." 

The  above  letter  reached  Kartoum  in  August.  It  was  in 
reply  from  one  to  Giegler  Pasha,  dated  14th  March,  1883, 
which,  Slatin  Bey  stated,  was  the  first  direct  news  he  had  re- 
ceived from  Kartoum  for  more  than  a  year. 

On  the  20th  August,  General  Hicks  received  a  telegram 
from  the  Khedive  appointing  him  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
expedition  to  Kordofan,  with  the  rank  of  General  of  Division. 
His  original  plan  was  to  leave  Kartoum  about  the  8th  of  Sep- 
tember, and  march  up  the  White  Nile  as  far  as  Berair,'*^  with 
8,600  infantry,  1,400  cavalry  and  Bashi  Bazouks,  one  battery 
of  Krupp  field  guns,  two  batteries  of  mounted  gims,  one  bat^ 
tery  of  Xordenfeldts,  and  5,000  camels. 

Leaving  the  river  at  Berair,  he  proposed  to  march  first  on 
Bara,'*'  and  then  on  El  Obeyed,  appearing  before  the  last-men- 
tioned place  with  7,000  men,  which  it  was  considered  would  be 
sufficient  to  overcome  the  Mahdi.  About  3,000  were  to  be 
employed  in  keeping  open  the  line  of  communications.  But 
the  idea  of  establishing  a  line  of  fortified  posts  between  the 
Nile  and  Kordofan  was  subsequently  abandoned,  and  it  was 
decided  that  the  whole  force  should  advance  together,  without 
attempting  to  keep  i\p  any  communication  with  the  rear.  The 
reason  for  adopting  this  course  was,  that  reports  were  brought 
in  that  large  numbers  of  hostile  Arabs  were  likely  to  reap- 
pear on  the  line  of  march  after  the  passage  of  the  army,  and 

■*8  Sixteen  miles  below  Duem. 

49  Bara  is  nearer  the  Nile  than  El  Obeyed,  and  in  a  fertile  country, 
from  which  General  Hicks  hoped  to  be  able  to  procure  some  supplies. 


APPENDICES.  437 

there  would  be  great  difficulty  in  iuducing  small  bodies  of 
Egyptian  troops  to  escort  convoys  of  stores  between  the  posts. 

The  Egyjjtian  officers  attached  to  the  force  were  inefficient, 
and,  as  a  ride,  apathetic  ;  they  carried  little  or  no  respect, 
and  had  but  slight  authority  over  their  men.  To  bring  the 
army  into  a  state  of  efficiency,  feed  it,  provide  transjjort,  and 
procure  intelligence,  taxed  the  energies  of  General  Hicks  and 
his  small  European  Staff  to  the  utmost.  His  greatest  anxiety 
was  regardmg  the  water  supply  during  the  march,  for  Kordo- 
fan  is  the  dryest  province  in  the  whole  Sondan.  The  wells 
along  the  roads  across  the  desert  contain  but  little  water, 
except  immediately  after  the  rains,  and  it  was  feared  that 
even  then  there  would  be  insufficient  for  a  large  force  accom- 
panied by  horses,  mules,  and  several  thousand  camels. 

On  leaving  the  Nile,  provisions  for  sixty  days  were  to  be 
carried  with  the  army. 

Rashid  Pasha,  who  was  to  have  commanded  a  brigade,  tele- 
graphed from  Kassala  that  the  Arabs  in  the  neighbourhood 
were  in  a  state  of  great  excitement,  and  he  thought  it  would 
be  best  for  him  to  remain  there  till  it  had  subsided. 

On  the  9th  September  the  main  body  set  out  from  Kartoum, 
and,  passing  Berair,  reached  Duem^^'on  the  20th.  Xo  hos- 
tility was  shown  along  the  route,  though  many  of  the  inhabi- 
tants fled  on  the  ajipi'oach  of  the  troops.  The  heat  was  in- 
tense, and  there  was  considerable  loss  of  life  among  the 
camels  during  the  march.  The  line  of  telegraph  had  been 
destroyed. 

On  the  23rd  September,  an  advanced  force,  consisting  of 
three  battalions  and  six  guns,  seized  the  first  water  station, 
fifteen  miles  from  Buem,  without  encountering  any  resistance. 

General  Hicks  did  not  leave  Kartoum  till  the  28th  Septem- 
ber, when  he  proceeded  up  the  river  by  steamer  to  Duem,  and 
then  joined  the  main  body.^^ 

On  the  30th  September  the  army  encamped  at  a  place  30 
miles  southwest  of  Duem.  The  heat  was  still  intense,  and 
the  camels  were  dying  in  considerable  numbers. 

The  square  continued  to  be  used  as  the  fighting  formation. 
Great  precautions  were  taken  on  the  line  of  march.  The 
army  marched  in  three  columns  prepared  instantly  to  form 
square,  with  the  camels  and  stores  in  the  centre,  the  guns  in 
the  front  faces,  and  the  Nordenfeldts  at  the  angles.     Through 

S"  The  distance  between  Duem  and  Kartoum  is  about  110  miles. 

ol  Tiie  other  English  officers  with  the  Expeditionary  Force  are  Colonel 
Farquliar,  Chief  of  the  Staff  ;  Jlajors  Warner,  jMassey,  and  Evans  ; 
Captains  Heath  and  Walker,  and  Surf;;eon-Major  Rosenburg.  In  addi- 
tion to  these,  there  are  several  Austrians  and  Germans.  Colonel  de 
Coetlogon  remains  at  Kartoum,  and  Colonel  Colborne  and  Major  Mar- 
tin have  been  invalided  home. 


438  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

constant  practice,  the  men  had  become  very  perfect  in  this 
manoeuvre.  When  camjiing  square  was  formed,  two  tents  per 
company  were  pitched  behind  piled  arms.  When  possible,  a 
zeriba,  or  dense  abattis  of  thorny  bushes,  was  formed  round 
the  square.  In  case  of  sudden  attack  on  the  march,  each 
soldier  carried  four  crow's-feet,  which  he  was  to  throw  to  a 
distance  in  his  front  to  check  the  rush  of  the  assailing  forces. 

On  the  7th  October  the  army  apjjears  to  have  reached 
Sangi  Hamferid,  45  miles  southwest  of  Duem,  where  it  re- 
mained halted  for  several  days,  owing  to  the  uncertainty  of 
the  water  supply  in  front.  At  the  camp  there  was  no  water 
except  on  the  surface  in  depressions  of  the  ground.  The 
camels  were  dropping,  but  the  troops  were  in  good  health. 

On  the  9th  October  Colonel  Farquhar  made  a  reconnais- 
sance 30  miles  forward,  and  ascertained  that  the  pools  were 
barely  sufficient  for  a  rapid  march  to  Sarakna,  at  which  vil- 
lage there  ai-e  a  few  wells. 

The  enemy  was  still  retiring,  and  sweeping  the  country  bare 
of  cattle.     The  uncut  harvest  supplied  ample  forage. 

In  the  beginning  of  Aiigust  rumours  reached  Suakin  that 
emissaries  of  the  INIahdi  were  inciting  the  Arabs  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Sinkat  ^'-  and  Erkowit  ^^  to  revolt.  On  the  2nd 
Tewfik  Bey,  the  Governor  of  Suakin,  left  for  Sinkat,  to  in- 
quire into  the  true  state  of  affairs.  He  there  learned  that 
Osman  Digma,  a  well-known  slave-dealer,  assisted  by  his 
nephews,  Ahmed  and  Fagi  Digma,  had  raised  the  Erkowit, 
Sherah,  Mishab,  Migadaff,  and  Bishirieh  tribes  in  the  name  of 
the  Mahdi.  All  these  are  small  tribes,  living  in  the  Erkowit 
district  ;  but  the  more  important  Langeb  tribe,  living  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Toka,  were  said  to  be  preparing  to  rise. 

Tewfik  Bey  immediately  summoned  Digma  to  come  to  him 
at  Sinkat.  He  arrived  on  the  5th  August,  but  accompanied  by 
about  1,500  armed  followers,  and  demanded,  in  the  name  of  the 
JMahdi,  the  surrender  of  Sinkat  and  Suakin,  with  all  the  arms 
and  treasure  they  contain.  These  demands  being,  of  course, 
refused,  Digma  attacked  the  barracks  and  the  summer  resi- 
dences of  the  Suakis  spread  over  the  plain.  The  inhabitants 
defended  themselves,  and,  ^vith  the  assistance  of  the  troops, 
drove  off  the  rebels  after  an  hour's  fight.  Digma  was  severely 
wounded,  and  his  two  nephews  and  sixty-three  other  rebels 
were  killed.  The  number  of  their  wounded  is  unknown.  On 
the  Government  side,  seven  soldiers  and  Suakis  were  killed  or 
died  of  their  wounds. 

52  On  the  road  from  Suakin  to  Berber,  situated  in  a  vallev  about  three 
miles  in  breadth,  enclosed  by  mountains.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Suakin  live  there  during  the  "hot  season. 

63  The  lofty  mountains  of  Erkowit  lie  20  to  30  miles  southeast  of 
Sinkat.     Erkowit  is  another  summer  retreat  for  the  people  of  Suakin. 


APPENDICES.  439 

The  rebels  retired  to  Erkowit,  aud  it  was  reported  that  they 
were  much  discouraged  by  their  defeat. 

By  the  13th  August  the  garrisou  of  Sinkat,  which  on  the  5th 
was  only  100  strong,  had  been  increased  to  200.  On  that  date 
there  were  100  soldiers,  forty  of  whom  were  artillerymen,  and 
six  Krupp  9-pounders  at  Suakin.  Some  measures  were  being 
taken  for  the  defence  of  the  town. 

Some  uneasiness  was  also  felt  at  Berber,  and,  in  conse- 
quence, the  Mudir  of  that  place  detained  there  two  battalions 
of  infantry,  which  arrived  early  in  August,  on  their  way  to 
Kartoum. 

It  was  reported  that  the  last  detatchment  of  reinforcements 
for  General  Hicks,  consisting  of  200  infantry  and  300  Bashi- 
Bazouks,  had  been  abandoned  by  their  camel-drivers  aud 
camels  at  a  place  called  Kokreb,  about  half-way  between 
Suakin  and  Berber.  What  became  of  the  troops  after  the 
loss  of  their  baggage  and  camels  is  not  stated. 

Although  the  attack  on  Sinkat  had  been  repulsed  with  loss, 
the  appearance  of  the  enemy  in  the  rear  of  General  Hicks, 
and  more  or  less  commanding  his  line  of  communications, 
was  sufficiently  serious  to  cause  much  uneasiness  at  Cairo. 

Three  hundred  troops  were  despatched  from  Egypt  to  Sua- 
kin about  the  24th  August,  aud  they  were  to  be  followed  by 
further  large  reinforcements. 

The  telegraph  line  between  Suakin  and  Sinkat  was  cut  on 
the  10th  August.  On  the  8th  October  it  was  reported  that 
communication  between  those  places  and  Berber,  which  had 
been  interrupted  for  some  time,  had  been  reestablished. 

On  the  18th  October,  however,  two  officers  and  156  Egyp- 
tian soldiers  were  killed  by  the  Arabs  in  a  mountain  defile, 
about  20  miles  from  Suakin.  They  were  on  their  way  to 
support  Towfik  Bey,  who  was  said  to  be  surrounded  by  rebels 
at  Sinkat. 

On  the  5th  November,  a  body  of  Egyptian  troops,  variously 
estimated  at  from  250  to  500  meu,  were  attacked  near  Tokar  ^* 
by  a  band-  of  insurgents,  and  completely  routed.  They  are 
said  to  have  thrown  their  arms  away  and  taken  to  flight,  not- 
withstanding the  efforts  of  their  commander  to  rally  them. 
The  reports  are  not  very  clear  as  to  whether  the  Egyptians 
were  merely  making  a  reconnaissance,  or  were  attempting  to 
reach  Kartoum  by  way  of  Kassala.     Commander  Moncrieff,®^ 

54  Tokar  is  a  small  town  in  the  centre  of  a  great  grain-producing 
district.  It  is  a  penal  settlement  for  Suakin,  from  which  it  is  about 
45  miles  distant 

55  Commander  Lj'nedoch  Needham  Moncrieff  entered  the  Royal  Navy 
in  18G.3,  and  in  February,  1865,  while.  Sub-Lieutenant  of  the"  Pelnros, 
was  engaged  in  the  destruction  of  piratical  junks  in  Tungroa  Bay.  He 
became  Lieutenant  in  July,  1865,  and  retired  with  the  rank  of  Com- 
mander in  1873.     Proceeding  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  on  the  outbreak 


440  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

late  R.  N.,  the  Brkish  Consul  at  Suakiu,  who  had  accompanied 
them  from  that  place,  was  among  the  killed. 

The  latest  accounts  state  that  Tokar  is  still  held  for  the 
Egyptian  Government  by  a  small  body  of  troops  and  some 
convicts.  A  panic  had  set  in  at  Suakiu,  and  the  inhabitants 
were  leaving  for  Jeddah. 

On  leaving  the  camp  at  Omdurraan,^"  on  the  morning  of  the 
9th  September,  the  order  of  march  was  as  follows,  viz.,  Two 
guides,  mounted  on  camels,  led  the  way.  Behind  them  rode 
a  detachment  of  men  in  armour,  followed  by  the  general  staflf. 
Then  came  a  battalion  of  infantry  in  line,  with  several  bat- 
talions in  column  in  rear  of  each  of  its  flanks.  Tho  artillery 
marched  between  the  columns  of  infantry.  Another  battalion 
in  line  formed  the  fourth  side  of  the  infantry  square.^'  A 
detachment  of  cavalry  completed  the  fighting  force.  Behind 
it  came  a  long  train  of  pack  animals,  led  and  protected  by 
Bashi-Bazouks.  The  rear  was  brought  up  by  irregular  cav- 
alry. 

The  marclaiug-out  strength  was  10,000  men,  4  Krupp  field 
guns,  10  mountain  guns,  6  Nordenf eldts,  500  horses,  and  5,500 
camels. 

Al  ed  Deen  Pasha,  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan, 
started  at  the  same  time,  proceeding  as  far  as  Duem  by 
steamer.  He  took  in  his  suite  several  notables  of  great  in- 
fluence, who  were  to  be  considered  as  hostages,  and  answer- 
able with  their  lives  for  any  disturbances  that  might  break 
out  in  Kartoum  during  their  absence. 

On  the  march  every  precaution  was  taken  to  guard  against 
surprise.  The  troops  were  always  under  arms,  and  lined  the 
"zerebas"  an  hour  before  daybreak,  the  usual  time  for  an 
Arab  attack.  The  cavalry  used  to  go  out  at  dawn,  and  not 
till  then  were  the  tents  allowed  to  be  struck  and  the  camels 
loaded.     An  hour  later  the  whole  force  marched  off.     Owing 

of  the  Zulu  war,  Commander  Moncrieff  served  with  the  2nd  battalion  of 
the  Native  Contingent  from  May,  1879,  till  the  close  of  the  campaign, 
durin;^  which  he  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Ulimdi,  where  he  was 
slightly  wounded,  afterwards  having  Commissariat  charge  at  Fort  Cam- 
bridge. His  services  were  officially  commended  at  the  close  of  the 
campaign.  In  January,  1880,  the  deceased  officer  was  nominated  Consul 
at  Cayenne,  and,  having  passed  the  examination,  was,  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1880,  appointed  Consul  for  French  Guiana,  to  reside  at  Cayenne, 
but  did  not  proceed  thither,  being  shortly  afterwards  sent  as  "acting 
Consul  to  Jeddah.  He  was  appointed  Consul  at  Suakin  on  the  1st  of 
April,  1882,  the  post  being  worth  750^.  per  annum,  besides  an  annual 
allowance  of  250/.  for  office  expenses.  Commander  Moncrieff  received 
the  silver  medal  of  the  Koj-al  Humane  Society  for  saving  life  at  sea  la 
1864.     . 

*^6  On  the  left  bank  of  the  White  Nile,  opposite  Kartoum. 

57  After  leaving  Duem,  the  formation,  with  the  camels  in  the  centre 
of  the  square,  appears  to  have  been  adopted. 


APPENDICES.  441 

to  the  enormoiis  number  of  camels,  progress  was  slow.  After 
twelve  days'  marching,  Duem,  110  miles  from  Omclurman, 
was  reached,  and  the  army  rested  for  four  days.  The  heat 
was  intense,  and  both  men  and  camels  suffered  considerably. 

On  quitting  the  Nile,  General  Hicks' s  original  intention 
had  been  to  retake  Bera,  °^  before  marching  on  El  Obeyed, 
but  he  altered  his  plans  at  the  request  of  King  Adam  of 
Takalld,  who  promised  assistance  in  the  event  of  the  army 
entering  Kordofan  from  the  south. 

On  the  30th  September,  General  Hicks  reached  Zeraiga, 
about  30  miles  from  Duem.  The  following  despatch  was 
probably  written  at  Sangi  Hamferid,  ^^  some  miles  farther 
on,  though  neither  the  date  nor  the  name  of  the  place  are 
stated.  It  was  sent  by  hand  to  Kartoum,  and  telegraphed 
thence  to  Cairo  on  the  17th  October.  It  runs  as  follows,  viz.  ? 
"  The  army  has  arrived  within  28  miles  of  Sarakhna.  We 
have  depended  upon  pools  of  rain-water  for  supply,  which 
we  have  fortunately  found.  A  reconnaissance  made  to-day 
ensures  us  water  as  far  as  Sarakhna.  Guide  information  is 
vague.  I  regret  that  I  have  to  abandon  my  intention  of  estab- 
lishing military  posts  and  line  of  communication  with  base  at 
Duem.  The  Governor-General  assures  me  that  the  Arab? 
will  close  in  on  my  route  after  the  army  has  passed  in  suffi- 
cient force  to  prevent  posts  forwarding  supplies  ;  besides,  the 
pools  of  rain-water  —  the  only  supply  —  will  dry  up.  ^^^ate^ 
not  to  be  obtained  by  digging  wells.  I  have  no  information 
regarding  water  between  Sarakhna  and  Nurabi,  nor  reliable 
information  of  the  supply  there.  This  causes  me  great 
anxiety.  I  quite  expected  Sarakhna  to  be  occupied  by  the 
enemy,  but  the  reconnaissance  to-day  found  the  place  evacu- 
ated. The  Arabs  had  left  this  morning.  The  health  of  the 
troops  is,  on  the  whole,  good,  which  is  fortunate,  as  we  have 
no  sick  carriage.     The  heat  is  intense." 

The  following  is  the  last  despatch  received  from  General 
Hicks.  It  is  dated  "  Camp,  near  Saraklina,  October  3rd, 
1883  "  :  — 

"  On  leaving  Duem,  on  the  White  Nile,  to  march  by  the 
Khor-el-Nil  to  Melbeis  and  El  Obeyed,  I  decided  that  my  line  of 
communication  should  be  secured  by  posts  of  200  men  each, 
left  in  strongly  fortified  positions  in  the  following  places  : 
Schatt,  16  miles  distant  ;  Zeraiga,  16  miles  distant  ;  Sa- 
rakhna, 32  miles  distant  ;  Nurabi,  16  miles  distant  ;  Agaila, 
24  miles  distant  ;  Johan,  32  miles  distant  ;  Abli,  28  miles  dis- 
tant ;  Beliab,  22  miles  distant  ;  Um  Sheikh,  12  miles  distant ; 

^8  An  important  town  in  Kordofan,  north  of  El  Obeyed. 

59  From  information  received  the  army  appears  to  have  arrived  at 
Sangi  Hamferid  about  the  1st  October,  and  not  on  the  date  before  mea- 
tioned  —  7th  October. 


442  GENERAL   GORDONS  JOURNALS. 

Rahad,  14  miles  distant  ;  Khashil  (?  Kazghil),  14  miles  dis- 
tant ;  Melbeis,  25  miles  distant/'^ 

''  At  all  these  places  I  was  informed  water  would  be  found. 

"  Large  quantities  of  biscuits  were  to  ariive  at  Duem,  and 
as  we  were  unable  to  leave  a  single  camel  at  the  base,  1,000 
were  ordered  to  be  purchased  and  forwarded  to  Duem. 

"  His  Excellency  Al-ed-Din  Pasha  had  already  at  Kartoum 
300,  and  gave  orders  for  the  remaining  700  to  be  purchased 
and  forwarded  to  Duem  without  delay. 

"  The  biscuits  would  then,  with  ammunition  and  other  stores, 
be  pushed  on  to  the  front  from  post  to  post. 

"Depots  would  be  formed  at  each  post, and,  in  case  of  a  re- 
verse, a  line  of  retreat  secured,  the  troops  falling  back  upon 
these  depots,  where  we  should  be  certain  of  finding  supplies  of 
food,  ammunition,  and  water. 

"  We  marched  to  Schatt,  and  formed  the  first  post  and  de- 
pot there  ;  but,  before  reaching  Zeraiga,  I  was  informed  by 
the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan  that  it  was  useless  for  me 
to  expect  any  supplies  to  be  pushed  up  from  Duem;  that  the 
soldiers  left  at  the  posts  would  not  guard  the  convoys  ;  in 
fact,  that  they  would  be  afraid  to  do  so  ;  that,  to  ensure  sup- 
plies being  forwarded,  an  army  would  be  required  with  each 
convoy  ;  that  the  Arabs,  although  now  absent  from  our  line  of 
route,  would  return  after  we  had  passed,  and  that  they  would 
be  numerous,  and  the  garrisons  of  the  posts  would  not  con- 
sider themselves  strong  enough  to  forward  the  supplies  ;  that 
it  would  be  dangerous  ;  and  I  would  find  that  they  would  not 
run  the  risk. 

"  The  Governor-General  requested  me  to  abandon  the  idea 
of  having  this  line  of  posts  —  to  give  up  my  line  of  communi- 
cations and  line  of  retreat,  and  to  advance  with  the  army  en 
Vair,  with  50  days'  supply  of  food  only,  the  Arabs  closing  in 
on  our  rear. 

"  I  am  naturally  very  averse  to  this,  but  if,  as  liis  Excellency 
assures  me,  it  is  a  fact  that  the  posts  will  not  be  supplied  from 
the  base  at  Duem,  and  supplies  will  not  be  forwarded  through 
them,  I  should,  in  garrisoning  these  posts,  be  only  weakening 
my  fighting  force  without  gaining  any  advantage.  I  have 
therefore  called  a  Council,  have  had  the  matter  explained, 
and  requested  the  members  to  record  their  opinions."  ^^ 

No  news  of  the  Expeditionary  Force  having  been  heard  for 

6"  Duem  to  Melbeis  — total  251  miles.  These  distances  are  only  ap- 
proximate. 

61  The  existence  of  these  two  despatches  was  not  known  to  Sir  E. 
Baring  till  they  appeared  in  the  "Eg^'ptian  Gazntte  "  of  the  27th  No- 
vember. Ch^rif  Pasha  had  previously  infoimed  him  that  nothing  had 
been  heard  of  General  Hicks  since  the  27th  September,  the  date  on 
which  he  started  from  Duem.  Ch^rif  Pasha  subsequently  admitted  that 
he  was  mistaken  in  making  that  statement. 


APPENDICES.  443 

several  weeks,  anxiety  began  to  be  felt  as  to  its  fate.  Mes- 
sengers were  despatched  from  Dueni  along  the  various  routes 
to  Kordofan,  but,  for  a  long  while,  none  of  the  few  who  re- 
turned brought  any  authentic  information. 

On  the  30th  October,  rumours  were  spread  in  Kartoum  that 
the  Mahdi  had  been  defeated  in  several  important  engage- 
ments, and  that  General  Hicks  was  master  of  the  whole  of 
Kordofan.  No  official  confirmation  of  the  reported  victories 
was,  however,  received,  and  after  a  few  days  the  authenticity 
of  the  news  began  to  be  doubted. 

At  length,  on  the  19th  November,  a  messenger,  who  had 
failed  to  deliver  his  despatches  to  Al-ed-Deen  Pasha,  returned 
to  Duem,  bringing  news  of  the  total  destruction  of  General 
Hieks's  army.  These  sad  tidings  were  soon  confirmed  by  other 
persons  arriving  from  Kordofan.  Their  accounts  differ  in  de- 
tail, but  most  of  them  agree  that  the  greater  part,  if  not  the 
whole,  of  the  army  was  annihilated  by  the  insurgent  forces  on 
the  4th  or  5th  November.  The  events  which  culminated  in 
this  terrible  disaster  are  still  shrouded  in  a  certain  amount  of 
mystery.  Nothing  has  been  heard  from  any  of  the  Europeans 
who  accompanied  the  exjiedition,  nor  from  any  of  the  Egyptian 
Staff  Officers,  of  a  later  date  than  General  Hieks's  despatch  of 
the  3rd  October.  Probably  the  most  trustworthy  account  of 
the  fighting  is  that  given  by  a  camel-driver,  who  went  as  ser- 
vant to  a  native  officer.  He  states  that  the  army,  on  leaving 
Duem,  soon  met  the  rebels,  and  engaged  in  skirmishes  with 
them,  the  Mahdi's  men  being  beaten,  and  the  Egyptians  losing 
a  few  Bashi-Bazouks  and  Shaggyehs.  Thus  the  army  arrived 
at  Rahad,  where  there  is  a  lake.  There  it  filled  up  with 
water,  and  then  marched  towards  Alouba.  At  the  latter  place 
there  was  an  encounter  with  the  rebels,  in  which  General  Hicks 
was  victorious.  On  the  2nd  November  the  army  left  Alouba, 
taking  what  water  it  could,  and,  while  marching  through  a 
forest,  was  surprised  by  a  large  force  of  rebels.  The  Egyp- 
tians formed  square,  and,  after  fighting  all  day,  finally  de- 
feated them  and  drove  them  off.  On  Saturday,  the  3rd  No- 
vember, the  march  was  resumed.  Water  was  already  becoming 
scarce.  The  rebels  again  appeared  in  force,  and  surrounded 
the  army.  A  serious  engagement  ensued,  in  which  heavy 
losses  were  suffered  on  both  sides,  but  the  rebels  were  once 
more  beaten.  That  night  was  passed  on  the  field  of  battle, 
and  next  diij  the  army  moved  towards  Kazghil.  After  proceed- 
ing for  four  hours,  it  suddenly  came  under  a  heavy  fusillade 
from  large  numbers  of  the  enemy.  The  troops  were  suffering 
great  torments  from  tliirst,  but  nevertheless  fought  throughout 
the  whole  day.  On  the  5th,  when  they  were  approaching  the 
wells,  which  were  only  half  an  hour  distant,  the  rebels,  who 
had  been  concealed  in  the  forest,  again  suddenly  attacked  the 


444  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

column  on  all  sides.  The  Egyptians  returned  their  fire,  and 
a  great  battle  raged.  Towards  midday  the  entire  force  of  the 
rebels  made  a  general  charge  with  guns,  swords,  and  spears, 
and  General  Hicks  and  his  whole  army  perished,  except  200 
Egyptian  soldiers  and  a  few  negro  servants,  most  of  whom 
were  wounded. "^^ 

Of  the  whole  of  the  expeditionary  force,  the  only  European 
supposed  to  be  now  alive  is  Adolf  Klootz,  formerly  a  sergeant 
of  Prussian  Uhlans,  and  recently  servant  to  Major  von  Secken- 
dorff.  He  is  said  to  have  deserted  three  days  before  the  final 
struggle,  to  have  commanded  the  insurgent  artillery  during 
the  action,  and  to  be  at  present  an  officer  in  the  service  of  the 
Mahdi.63 

Note.  —  The  following  is  the  Extract  of  a  letter  from  the 
Mahdi's  Emir  at  Berber  to  Zubair,  by  whom  it  was  forwarded 
to  Sir  Henry  Gordon. 

Letter  of  tlie  Emir  Ah  Mohammed  Abou  Saad  Esshentrawi  al 
Abadi  (the  Mahdi's  Emir  at  Berber). 

"  Compliments,  —  After  the  arrival  of  Hussein  Pasha  Kha- 
lifat in  the  Soudan,  it  was  found  that  all  the  inhabitants  were 
aroused  by  the  appearance  of  the  Imam.  Since  this  every 
week  a  disturbance  took  place  among  the  Arabs  and  Jahleien 
and  others.  We  tried  to  put  down  the  disturbances.  While 
we  were  trying  to  do  so,  news  came  that  the  influence  of  the 
Imam  the  Mahdi  was  established,  and  that  all  the  districts  of 
Darfur  and  Bahr  el  Ghezel,  and  Kordofan,  Sennaar,  and  Jebel 
Khadir,  and  the  Arabs,  all  of  theni,  were  under  him.  Why 
this  was  so  was  that  they  saw  and  heard  what  he  has  done  to 
the  backsliders  at  the  battle  of  Jebel  Khadir,  and  in  the 
slaughter  of  Yusuf  Pasha  Shelali  and  his  army  of  8,000  men, 
and  in  the  destruction  of  Al-ed-Deen  Pasha  and  his  army  of 
36,000  men,  which  was  altogether  destroyed  in  a  quarter  of 
an  hour.     It  was  a  fearful  fight,  in  which  you  heard  only  the 

62  The  under-mentioned  European  officers  are  believed  to  have  perished, 
viz.  — Lieut. -General  Hicks,  Colonel  Farquhar,  Majors  Warner,  Massey, 
Evans,  Alfred  Freiherr  von  Seckendorff,  Captains  Arthur  Herlth  and 
Alexander  Matj'uga,  Lieut.  Morris  Brody,  late  Serjeant-Major  R.  H.  A  , 
Surgeon-General  Georges  Bey,  and  Surgeon-Major  Rosenberg.  And 
with  them,  Al-ed-Deen  Pasha,  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan,  and 
many  Egyptian  officers  of  high  rank.  Mr.  O' Donovan  and  Mr.  Vize- 
telly,  newspaper  correspondents  who  accompanied  the  expedition,  have 
not  since  been  heard  of.  • 

63  The  Paris  Temps  oi  23rd  November,  1883,  states  that  the  Mahdi's 
forces  are  organised  and  commanded  by  a  Frencliman  named  Soulie,  who 
has  lived  for  many  years  in  Egypt.  He  went  there  after  having  served 
in  the  French  Army;  and,  after  the  bombardment  of  Alexandria,  went 
to  Kartoum,  whence  he  proceeded  to  join  the  False  Prophet,  soon  making 
his  way  into  the  latter's  graces,  and  obtaining  his  confidence. 


APPENDICES.  445 

slashing  of  swords  into  the  bodies.  At  that  time  we  received 
letters  from  our  lord  the  Imam  strictly  ordering  us  to  fight  the 
backsliders  and  to  bloclc  tlie  way  against  all  mischief-makers 
whatever,  which  we  prepared  to  do.  Then  came  to  us  Moham- 
med El  Kheir  Ibu  Abdullah,  Governor-General  of  the  district 
of  Berber,  bringing  with  him  standards  of  victory  prepared 
for  the  siege  of  Berber.  When  he  arrived  at  Metemma, 
he  wrote  letters  to  all  the  districts,  calling  for  the  aid  of  all 
the  tribes  and  Arabs.  It  was  only  a  short  time  after  that  he 
came  to  Berber  with  an  army  of  40,000  men,  the  youngest  of 
whom  were  eager  to  die  in  the  field  for  the  sake  of  God.  This 
was  on  the  1st  Rejeb,  1301.  CoiTesi^ondence  took  place  be- 
tween the  Governor  and  the  Pasha  for  the  space  of  eight  days, 
and  on  Monday,  the  night  of  the  23rd  Rejeb,  the  battle  was 
fought  ;  and  before  break  of  day  we  had  won  the  victory  and 
had  killed  all  who  opposed  the  Mahdi,  and  captured  the  Pasha. 
Then  all  the  inhabitants  of  Bertou,  of  Berkou,  of  Islih,  of 
Balalah,  of  Baskirmah,  and  of  Salah  came  into  the  Imam,  and 
then  his  reign  was  established  in  all  the  Soudan,  east  and  west. 
This  is  what  happened  in  these  parts  ;  and  know,  my  friend, 
that  the  world  is  turned  upside  down,  and  henceforward  there 
will  be  nothing  but  preparation  for  the  holy  war  in  the  path  of 
God,  and  spending  of  treasure  and  life  in  wliat  pleases  Him 
and  His  Prophet.  Be  on  your  guard  against  the  covetousness 
of  the  world. 

"  As  to  your  spy,  Mohammed  Abou  Jibali,  who  was  sent 
with  your  men,  after  they  came  to  Berber,  and  had  seen  the 
Governor,  and  had  permission  to  go  to  Kartoum,  when  they 
reached  Shendy  the  Governor  thought  it  better  that  they 
should  return  to  Berber  —  which  they  did  on  the  1st  Ramadan. 
They  were  imprisoned  till  the  20th.  Then  eight  mounted  men 
came  from  among  your  relatives,  and  had  a  conference  with 
the  Governor,  who  then  released  them,  and  they  went  to  your 
friends  living  near  Kartoum.  After  they  left,  the  spy,  Mo- 
hammed Abou  Jibali,  was  detained,  and  imprisoned  in  Berber, 
as  before,  till  the  3rd  of  Zu'l  Kadih.  For  your  sake  and 
friendship,  &c.,  we  have  done  all  we  could,  until  we  secretly 
released  him  and  sent  him  away  safely  to  you.  I  hope  he  will 
arrive  in  safety,  and  will  tell  you  how  honestly  we  have  acted 
for  you. 

"Accept,  &c. 

"3rd  Zu'l  Kfulih,  1301  [about  25th  August,  1884]." 


APPENDICES  TO  BOOK  V. 


APPENDIX  Q. 

t 
From  Saleh  Bey,  Governor  at  Galabat. 

To  his  Excellency  the  Governor-General  of  all  the  Provinces 
of  the  Soudan. 
Sir, 

The  two  envelopes  enclosed  were  sent  to  your  servant 
from  his  Majesty  the  King  of  Kings  of  Abyssinia,  with  a 
special  messenger  from  him,  and  a  request  that  we  would  re- 
ceive and  forward  them  to  your  Excellency  wherever  you 
may  be  f oixnd.  Therefore  we  now  send  these  messengers  with 
them.  And  we  trust  that  after  you  have  honoured  them  with 
your  attention  that  your  Excellency  will  quickly  send  back  the 
answer  to  us,  that  we  may  send  it  to  the  King  of  Kings  of 
Abyssinia  by  the  two  messengers  who  have  come  from  his 
Majesty,  and  who  are  at  present  date  with  us  at  Kalabat 
(Galabat).     Awaiting  the  said  reply. 

(Signed)     Salehh  Ibrahim, 
District  Inspector  and  Officer  of  Kalabat  (Galabat). 

Postscript.  —  Sir,  The  name  of  the  bearer  is  Ali  Othman. 
In  order  not  to  increase   expense  (this)  is  written  on  ruled 
paper. 

(Signed)     Salehh  Ibrahim. 

1  Zu'l  Hejjeh,  1301. 
Sept.  22,  1884. 


From  Saleh  Bey,  Governor  of  Galabat. 

To  his  Excellency  the  Honourable  Governor-General  of  the 
Soudan. 

Sir, 

Your  servant,  who  stands  in  the  attitude  of  Service  (to 
you),  prays  God  with  a  sincere  heart  to  grant  his  request  and 
to  extend  His  goodness  towards  me,  in  strengthening  and  pre- 
serving your  Excellency  under  His  shadow  for  the  sake  of  the 
servants  and  subjects   (of  Government),   and  to  change  the 


APPENDICES.  447 

condition  of  affairs  from  what  they  are,  and  to  grant  me  the 
honour  of  seeing  your  Excellency,  to  kiss  your  bountiful  hands, 
by  which  we  ha.ve  been  covered  with  good  and  with  blessings  ; 
—  (even  you  who  are)  the  destroyer  of  the  enemies  of  the 
Government,  the  wicked  rebels  who  have  lost  their  souls  and 
their  religion,  and  are  deprived  of  the  benefits  of  the  Govern- 
ment, from  wliich  they  liad  obtained  glory  and  honour  ;  and 
turned,  in  spite  of  (all)  that,  from  truth  to  error.  May 
God  preserve  the  glory  of  Government  (so  that)  by  presence 
of  your  Excellency  you  may  destroy  and  utterly  ruin  the 
wretched  Mohammed  Ahhmed  and  his  followers. 

We  have  also  to-day  heard  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
Dukah  of  Abou  Sitti  and  of  Abou  Haraz  about  what  the 
energy  of  your  Excellency  has  accomplished  in  beating  the 
rebels  and  dispersing  their  people  and  troops,  assembled  for 
purposes  of  sedition. 

And  I  beseech  God  most  High,  to  whom  be  praise,  to  stretch 
out  the  sword  of  your  Government  more  —  (and  more)  —  (in 
order)  to  annihilate  the  false  pretences  of  Mohammed  Ahh- 
med, and  to  disperse  his  wicked  hordes. 

If  your  thoughts  be  directed  towards  your  servant  and  the 
humble  subject  of  the  Government  —  (I  have  to  say  that)  at 
present  date  I  am  well,  under  your  protection,  and  am  still 
continuing  in  the  attitude  of  service  to  the  Government.  And 
oh  !  what  a  Government !  (it  is).  How  much  compassion  and 
benefit  and  kindness  have  you  bestowed  on  us  in  goodness  and 
bounty,  which  no  man  can  deny  ?  I  pray  in  the  name  of  God 
and  of  His  prophet  that  your  servant  may  never  depart  from 
this  path  of  duty  (fidelity  —  being)  obedient  to  the  Govern- 
ment openly,  without  hindrance  —  under  your  protection. 

With  regard  to  the  subjects  of  the  Government  under  the 
care  of  your  servant — they  do  not  cease  to  remain  as  they 
were  in  respect  of  submission  and  obedience  (loyalty),  and 
will  never  follow  the  ways  of  rebellion  —  by  the  mercy  of  God 
most  High  and  as  a  result  of  the  advantage  of  being  under 
your  Government. 

But,  Excellency,  we  are  surrounded  by  the  enemy  on  all 
sides  ;  from  the  side  of  the  Dukah,  by  the  Shukryeh,  by  the 
Dhaniyeh,  and  by  the  Ja'alibiyeh :  as  on  the  side  of  the  river, 
by  the  Rahbar  ;  also  by  the  Bukadi,  and  those  rebels  who 
follow  them. 

But  by  the  influence  of  your  Excellency  no  harm  will  come 
to  us  from  them.  Nor  do  we  take  account  of  him  (the 
Mahdi)  ;  our  Lord  will  make  us  victorious  over  him  through 
the  strength  of  the  Government  and  the  reputation  of  its 
power  and  majesty,  from  which  we  derive  glory  and  honour, 
through  your  Excellency  and  the  favour  of  the  Khedive. 

As  to  what  we  have  enclosed  about  ,  we  trust  and 


448  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

pray  for  the  answer.     Including  this  time,  we  have  now  writ- 
ten to  you  four  times. 

The  messenger  takes  them  (the  letters)  from  here,  and 
when  he  gets  to  Katarif,  or  Dukah,  he  finds  liers  in  wait,  and 
the  rebels  torment  him  on  meeting  him  in  the  road. 

This  prevented  us  from  writing  lately,  but  we  are  in  constant 
communication  with  the  JNIudiriyeh  ;  and  in  that  road  we  have 
lost  two  persons  by  (hands  of)  the  rebels  of  Dhaniyeh  and  of 
Bukkad,  on  the  road  of  Tumruk. 

This  for  the  information  of  your  Excellency. 

(Signed)     Salehh  Ibrahim, 
Ma'amoor  and  Nazir,  of  Kalabat  (Galabat) 
(District  Inspector  and  Officer.) 
1  Zii'l  Hejjeh,  1301. 
Sept.  22    1884. 

From  Saleh  Bey,  Governor  of  Salahah. 
To  His  Excellency  the  Honourable  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan. 

Sir, 

I  have  the  honour  to  lay  before  your  Excellency  that  at 
the  beginning  of  the  month  of  Rajeb,  from  the  time  of  the 
desertion  and  change  of  conduct  of  the  Shukriyeh  and  the 
Dhaniyeh,  and  the  Jaalani,  and  the  Bukkadi,  in  forsaking 
loyalty  to  Government  and  corrupting  their  ways  when  they 
joined  the  wretch  (the  Mahdi)  and  his  followers  :  as  soon  as 
we  received  news  of  their  having  thrown  off  their  allegiance 
we  communicated  with  the  Mudiriyeh  in  the  month  aforesaid. 
And  these  four  tribes  combined  together  against  us  and  be- 
sieged us  on  the  side  of  Dukah,  having  with  them  one  called 
Hussein  Abd  el  Wahhad,  and  they  wrote  to  us  as  to  their  in- 
tention that  we  should  follow  them  into  error,  or  they  would 
fight  and  hem  us  in.  When  we  perceived  tliis,  and  that  it  was 
then  the  season  of  Autumn  and  the  time  for  sowing  our  seed 
for  necessary  provisions  —  and  that  their  wicked  intention  was 
to  prevent  the  inhabitants  from  sowing  their  grain,  and  that 
the  soldiery  we  had  were  very  few  ;  we  tried  by  means  of 
diplomacy  and  artifice  with  their  chief  Hussein,  to  get  them  to 
leave  us  during  the  autumn  (seed  time). 

All  that  passed  between  us  and  them  we  have  commu- 
nicated in  detail  to  the  Mudiriyeh  from  time  to  time  —  so  that 
there  should  be  no  misunderstanding  from  our  silence  —  about 
what  we  wrote  to  them  for  putting  them  off  by  diplomacy,  as 
it  seemed  best  to  us  for  bringing  them  to  reason.  And  please 
God,  after  tranquillity  is  established,  we  will  hasten  to  make 
copies  of  all  the  communications  which  have  passed  with  them, 
as  well  as  of  what  we  wrote  to  the  Mudiriyeh.  On  your  see- 
ing them  you  will  know  the  zeal  of  your  servant  in  upholding 
his  office  ;  and  his  exertions  for  honour  of  the  Government, 
whose  bounties  overwhelm  him,  will  appear. 


APPENDICES.  449 

And,  Sir,  now  that  autumn  is  over,  and  these  four  tribes 
above  mentioned  are  now  in  Katarif,  and  as  there  is  great 
energy  displayed  in  assembb'ng  them  for  the  certain  purpose 
of  besieging  Kalabat  (Galabat),  it  became  necessary  to  inform 
your  Excellency,  trusting  and  praying  for  issue  of  your  Excel- 
lency's order,  sanctioning  all  that  we  do  for  the  purpose  of 
impeding  and  destroying  those  wretches  before  named.  And 
with  the  help  of  the  most  High  God  your  servant  will  do 
nothing  but  what  will  lead  to  victory,  and  will  increase  the 
supremacy  of  the  Government  and  the  destruction  of  its  ene- 
mies. It  is  not  to  be  hidden  from  your  Excellency  about 
Mohammed  Bey  Zain,  that  when  the  Mudiriyeh  sent  orders 
to  the  Ma'am oor  (district  officer)  of  Katarif  for  payment  of 
6,000  dollars  for  payment  of  the  salaries  of  the  oiBcials  of 
Galabat,  an  officer  and  thirty-five  soldiers  were  appointed  to 
receive  that  amount  from  the  officials  of  Katarif.  And  when 
they  were  coming  to  Galabat,  Mahmood  Bey,  the  above-named, 
took  the  money  from  them  and  left  the  officer  to  go  his  way. 
We  wrote  at  the  time  to  the  Mudiriyeh  about  it,  telling  what 
Mahmood  had  done,  and  also  to  his  Excellency,  Mahhmood 
Bey,  and  received  his  reply  (denying)  that  the  sum  had  been 
given  to  him  at  all,  and  refusing  to  have  any  more  commu- 
nication on  the  subject.  And  we  made  copy  of  what  Ave  re- 
ceived from  him,  and  we  wrote  about  him  to  the  Mudiriyeh, 
and  his  answer  is  preserved  by  us  in  case  of  necessity. 
(Signed)  Salehh  Ibrahim. 
Nazir  and  Ma'amoor  of  Kalabat  (District 
Inspector  and  Officer.) 

Date,  1  of  Zu'l  Heijeli,  1301. 
Sept.  22,  1884. 

Postscript.  —  Sir,  We  learn  from  the  Mudiriyeh  of  Saka 
(by  letter)  of  this  date  of  what  the  energy  of  your  Excellency 
has  done  there  to  impede  and  repulse  the  rebels.  They  are 
joyful  to-day  at  not  being  besieged  as  hitherto,  and  the  neigh- 
bourhood is  pretty  clear  at  present.  At  this  date  there  is  per- 
fect safety,  on  account  of  the  water,  from  their  being  sur- 
rounded. After  this  month  the  crossing  of  the  rivers  will 
become  possible,  and  (then)  without  doubt  the  rebels  will  be 
able  to  get  at  them.  Your  servant  is  constantly  writing  to  the 
General  of  his  troops  to  be  always  wide  awake,  and  to  look  out 
for  the  preservation  and  the  safety  of  the  honour  of  the  Gov- 
ernment. 

Always,  Sir,  at  your  order, 

Salehh  Ibrahim. 


450  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

From  the  Greek  Consul  at  Adowato  General  Gordon. 

Adowa  (Abyssinia),  5/17  August,  1884. 

My  Dear  General, 

I  arrived  in  Abyssinia  on  the  12  /24  May,  sent  by  my 
Government  to  aid  tiae  mission  of  Admiral  Hewett  at  the 
Court  of  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  John. 

Thanks  to  the  intelligence  and  the  good  feeling  of  His 
Majesty,  aided  by  my  counsels,  the  mission  of  the  Admiral  has 
completely  succeeded. 

In  Egypt  and  in  England  we  have  been  for  four  months 
without  news  from  you,  in  spite  of  all  the  attempts  wliich  have 
been  made  to  obtain  news  from  you. 

In  England  they  have  prepared  an  expedition  of  15,000 
men  for  the  Nile,  commanded  by  Lord  Wolseley,  besides 
wliich  the  Emperor  John  will  put  himself  in  the  field  after  the 
Haref  with  a  great  ai'my.  Take  courage,  then.  Give  me 
news  of  you  that  I  may  send  them  to  England. 

The  messenger  is  sent  by  the  Emperor  John,  whom  I  have 
caused  to  understand  the  urgent  need  of  nev/s  from  you.  You 
must  not  detain  the  messenger  more  than  two  days. 

I  wish  you  all  honour  and  glory  in  your  mission,  and 
I  am  your  devoted  friend, 

MiTZAKIS. 


From  Greek  Consul  Mitzakis,  dated  24th  August,  to  Greek  Consul, 
Kartoum,  received  20th  October,  1884. 

Adowa  (Abyssinia),  5/17  August,  1884. 

Sir, 

His  Majesty's  Government  is  much  affected  at  the  mis- 
fortunes of  the  Greeks  in  the  Soudan,  and  has  ordered  me  to 
come  here,  in  order  that  by  my  relations  with  His  Majesty  the 
Emperor  John,  I  may  help  the  Greeks  in  the  Soudan,  and  give 
them  news. 

His  Majesty's  Government  is  much  distressed  about  its 
subjects,  because  there  has  been  no  news  for  four  months  of 
His  Excellency  Gordon  Pasha,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  the 
Governments  of  England  and  of  Egyjit. 

The  Most  Christian  Emperor  John,  to  whom  I  have  spoken 
of  the  great  interest  of  England  and  Greece  in  the  Soudan, 
has  promised  me  to  send  this  letter  by  Metemma^  (Galabat) 
by  a  trusty  messenger,  who  will  return,  bringing  your  answer 
and  a  letter  from  His  Excellency  Gordon  Pasha,  to  whom  I 
also  write.  Therefore  I  beg  you  to  be  so  good  as  to  write  to 
me  all  your  news,  that  is  to  say,  if  the  siege  is  very  strict  ;  if 

1  Galabat,  Kalabiit,  and  Jletenima  are  the  same  place. 


APPENDICES.  451 

the  Mahdi  himself  is  at  the  head  of  the  besiegers  ;  if  you 
have  provisions  and  mnnitions,  and  for  how  many  months  ; 
how  many  Greeks  and  Europeans  there  are  in  Kartoum, 
together  with  their  names  ;  how  many  sokliers  have  you,  and 
what  is  the  spirit  of  the  sokliers  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town,  and  all  other  important  news. 

It  must  be  thoroughly  understood  that  you  are  to  send  back 
the  messenger  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  and  give  him  a 
letter,  in  very  small  form,  in  order  that  he  may  conceal  it  in 
safety. 

1  am  surprised  that  you  have  not  sent  any  letter  by  Me- 
temma  or  by  Walkeit. 

If  you  can  send  me  letters  by  Metemma,  you  must  address 
them  to  the  Governour-General  Gondar  Axum-Gabroun  ;  or  by 
Walkeit,  to  the  Governour  Degias-tessema. 

Hoping  that  your  siege  will  soon  be  raised, 

I  am,  &c., 

The  Consul. 

[Notice.] 

The  English  Admiral  Hewett  has  come  here,  and  has  signed 
the  Convention  of  the  Emperor  John  with  the  Egyptian  Gov- 
ernment, by  which  Abyssinia  takes  Bogos,^  Kassala,  Katarif, 
and  the  right  of  importing  and  exporting  merchandize  and 
arms  by  the  port  of  Massowa. 

Even  while  I  am  writing,  the  Egyptians  are  giving  up  Bogos 
to  Eas-Aloula  (the  Abyssinian  Commander-in-Chief). 

In  England  15,000  soldiers  are  preparing  to  come  to  relieve 
Kartoum,  and  I  trust  that  an  expedition  of  from  100,000  to 
200,000  brave  men  will  start  to  save  you. 

If  there  is  a  messenger  who  can  bring  your  letter  to  Me- 
temma (or  Galabat)  or  to  Walkeit  you  can  promise  him  what- 
ever you  wish,  and  we  will  pay  him,  because  the  English  Gov- 
ernment has  a  great  interest  in  General  Gordon. 

I  am,  yours,  &c. 

APPENDIX  R.     (249.) 

From  Slatin  Bey. 

His  Excellenc)'  Gordon  Pasha,  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan. 

Your  Excellency, 

I  have  sent  two  letters,  one  by  George  Calamatino  and 
the  other  by  my  servant,  without  having  received  an  answer 
from  your  Excellency,  neither  has  Consul  Hansall  answered 
me. 

2  This  territory  is  called  Bof^os  by  the  Abyssiuians,  and  Seuheitby 
the  Egyptians.    Its  capital  is  Keren. 


452  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Your  Excellency,  I  have  fought  twenty-seven  times  for  the 
Government  against  the  enemy,  and  they  have  beaten  me 
twice,  and  I  have  done  nothing  dishonourable,  nothing  which 
should  hinder  your  Excellency  from  writing  me  an  answer, 
that  I  may  know  what  to  do. 

They  have  taken  the  little  steamer  at  Dar-Djumna,  after  it 
passed  the  Sehelal  of  the  Robatat,  and  they  have  brought  the 
whole  of  the  letters  from  Kartoum  for  Cairo  here.  In  order  to 
assure  you  that  they  have  taken  the  steamer,  they  have  sent 
your  Excellency  some  letters,  and  I  have  done  all  that  I  could 
to  send  your  Military  Journal,^  because  it  may  be,  perhaps,  of 
some  value  for  your  Excellency. 

.  I  hope  that  Consul  Hansall  has  made  a  translation  of  my 
letter,  in  which  I  place  all  my  feeble  services  to  your  Excel- 
lency's disposal,  and  I  have  been  obliged  to  write  in  German, 
because  they  have  burnt  my  French  dictionary,  believing  that 
it  was  a  prayer  book. 

His  Excellency  Stewart  Pasha,  with  nine  men,  is  dead. 
They  have  taken  the  others  to  Berber. 

When  you  have  a  letter  for  Dongola  I  beg  you  to  send  it  me, 
and  I  will  find  means  of  sending  it  on. 

Your  scribe  has  written  a  despatch  in  cipher,  half  Arabic  and 
half  cipher,  so  badly,  that  they  have  been  able  to  decipher  it, 
and  so  they  have  found  a  key  to  your  despatches,  and  have 
also  deciphered  your  Excellency's  despatch  to  his  Excellency 
Towfik  Pasha.  If  there  are  letters  from  Europe  for  me  at  the 
post,  I  beg  you  to  send  them  me,  because  it  is  almost  three 
years  since  I  have  had  any  news  of  my  family.  I  entreat  your 
Excellency  to  honour  me  with  an  answer. 

Your  devoted  and  obedient  servant, 

Slatin. 

I  and  Seid  Gjoma,  Mudir  of  Fascher,  are  seeking  occasion  to 
enter  Omdurman  co  remain  with  you.  Pray,  Excellency,  do 
your  best  to  give  us  permission,  because  we  are  always  in  fear 
of  spies.  I  pray  God  that  He  may  give  you  success  in  the 
siege. 

P.  S.  —  If  your  Excellency  has  perhaps  understood  that  I 
have  done  anything  contrary  to  the  honour  of  an  officer,  and  if 
that  hinders  you  from  writing  to  me,  I  pray  you  give  me  a 
chance  of  defending  myself,  and  judge  according  to  truth. 

8  Evidently  Colonel  Stewart's  journal. 


APPENDICES.  453 

APPENDIX  T. 

From  the  Mitdir  of  Sennaar. 

To  the  Governor -General  of  the  Soudan  and  its  dependencies,  to  His 
Excellenc}'  tlie  Honourable. 

We  stated  to  youf  Excellency  that  on  Oct.  6,  1884,  we  had 
the  honour  to  receive  the  order  of  your  Excellency,  dated 
September  24,  announcmg  the  arrival  of  nine  regiments  of  the 
braves  of  the  English  army  and  Moslems  of  India  ;  artillery, 
cavalry,  and  infantry  of  the  army,  experienced  in  passing 
mountains,  plains,  and  rough  places,  with  new  cannons  and 
powerful  horses.  And  our  reading  it  to  the  public  and  pub- 
lishing it  in  the  country  produced  great  rejoicing  and  hapj)!- 
ness  in  all,  and  they  augured  all  good  and  every  benefit,  and 
they  are  all  praying  for  victory  and  success  for  you  and  for 
the  army.  And  please  God  they  are  arrived  at  Berber  and 
have  taken  possession  of  it,  and  have  arrived  at  Kartoum. 
Everybody  at  Sennaar  and  the  neighbourhood  —  Ulema,  mer- 
chants, citizens,  notables,  officers,  and  soldiers  —  kiss  the 
hands  of  your  Excellency,  and  we  proclaim  about  your  Excel- 
lency, that  by  the  power  of  God  and  His  protection,  and  by  the 
help  of  our  projihet  —  on  whom  and  on  his  peoj^le  be  the  best 
of  blessings  and  peace  —  the  disturbances  of  the  Soudan  and 
the  pretensions  of  the  Mahdi  are  stojjped,  and  nothing  remains 
thereof  but  little  trifles  in  some  parts.  And  they  will  all  sub- 
mit to  the  sword  of  the  Government. 

To  God  belongs  success,  and  help  is  in  Him. 
Mudir  General  of  Sennaar, 

(Signed)  Hassan  Sadik. 

Dated  18  Zu'l  Hejje,  1-301. 
Oct.  9,  188i. 

Postscript  to  his  Excellency.  —  We  beg  your  Excellency  to 
give  orders  for  the  quick  despatch  of  a  steamer  with  what  we 
asked  for  in  our  (letter)  laid  before  you,  No.  39  /  14. 

APPENDIX  U. 

Letter  from  the  Mahdi  to  General  Gordon. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  merciful  and  compassionate  :  praise 
be  to  God,  the  bountiful  Ruler,  and  blessing  on  our  lord  Ma- 
homed with  peace. 

From  the  servant  who  trusts  in  God  — Mahomed  the  son  of 
Abdallah. 

To  Gordon  Pasha  of  Kartoum  :  may  God  guide  him  into  the 
path  of  virtue,  amen  ! 


454  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Know  that  your  small  steamer,  n&vaed  Ahhas  —  which  you 
sent  with  the  intention  of  forwarding  your  news  to  Cairo,  by 
the  way  of  Dongola,  tlie  persons  sent  being  your  representa- 
tive Stewart  Pasha  and  the  two  Consuls,  French  and  English, 
with  other  persons,  has  been  captured  by  the  will  of  God. 

Those  who  believed  in  us  as  the  Mahdi,  and  surrendered, 
have  been  delivered  ;  and  those  who  did  not  were  destroyed 
—  as  your  representative  afore-named,  with  the  Consuls  and 
the  rest  —  whose  souls  God  has  condemned  to  the  fire  and  to 
eternal  misery. 

That  steamer  and  all  that  was  in  it  have  fallen  a  prey  to 
the  Moslems,  and  we  have  taken  knowledge  of  all  the  letters 
and  telegrams  which  were  in  it,  in  Arabic  and  in  Frankish 
(languages),  and  of  the  maps,  which  were  opened  to  us  (trans- 
lated) by  those  on  whom  God  has  bestowed  His  gifts,  and  has 
enlightened  their  hearts  with  faith,  and  the  benefits  of  willing 
submission.  Also  (we  have  found  therein)  the  letters  sent 
from  you  to  the  Mudir  of  Dongola,  with  the  (letters,  &c.)  ac- 
companying, to  be  forwarded  to  Egypt  and  to  European  coun- 
tries. All  has  been  seized,  and  the  contents  are  known.  It 
should  have  been  returned  to  you,  not  being  wanted  here  ; 
but  as  it  was  originally  sent  from  you,  and  is  known  unto  you, 
we  prefer  to  send  you  part  of  the  contents  and  mention  the 
property  therein,  so  that  you  may  be  certified  ;  and  in  order 
that  the  truth  may  make  a  lasting  impression  on  thy  mind  — 
in  the  hope  that  God  xnay  guide  thee  to  the  faith  of  Islam,  and 
to  surrender  ;  that  you  and  your  followers  may  surrender  to 
Him  and  to  us,  that  so  you  and  they  may  obtain  everlasting 
good  and  happiness. 

Now  first  (among  the  documents  seized)  is  the  cipher  dated 
Sept.  22,  1884,  sent  to  Mustafa  Jawer,  Mudir  of  Dongola,  in 
answer  to  his  letter  dated  30th  August,  1884,  European  reck- 
oning, (saying)  that  you  have  given  him  the  rank  of  Liwa  —  on 
the  back  of  which  is  your  telegram  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt, 
asking  that  he  will  confirm  the  said  appointment.  We  have 
also  taken  knowledge  of  (extracts  from)  the  Journal  ^  (daily 
record)  of  the  provision  in  the  granary  (as)  seen  by  the  Inspec- 
tor Moosa  Othman,  namely,  3,374  ardebs  of  dhoora  ;  4  ardebs 
and  \  and  \  of  wheat,  &c.  Also  (extracts  from)  the  Journal* 
(daily  register)  of  the  ammunition  seized  by  the  Inspector  Mo- 
hamed,  dated  Aug.  18,  1884  —  number  (?  of  cartridges)  in 
store  being  581,395. 

Also  of  the  telegram  sent  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt,  and 
Nubar  Pasha,  and  to  the  English  Consul-General,  from  nine- 
teen persons  who  have  put  their  seals  to  it,  and  who  are  presi- 
dents of  the  Court  of  Appeal,  (namely)  Hassan  Abdul  Munam, 

*  Colonel  Stewart's  Journal. 


APPENDICES.  456 

and  the  members  and  the  merchants,  -who  pray  (therein)  that 
the  Soudan  Railway,  which  the  Egyptian  Government  find  it 
difficult  to  make,  (may  be)  exchanged  for  river  steamers  and 
military  stations,  with  telegraphic  lines  between  the  stations.^ 

Further,  (there  is)  the  letter  (found)  with  the  French  Con- 
sul, written  by  you  to  him  on  July  12,  1884,  No.  512  /  38,  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  100  francs  distributed  to  the  poor  and 
needy. 

(There  is)  also  your  letter  dated  August  28,  1884,  No.  35  / 
144,  sent  to  Nubar  Pasha  and  to  the  English  Consul-General, 
and  to  the  Chief  of  the  Egyptian  Treasury,  with  information 
about  the  50,000  guineas  sent  from  Egypt  to  Berber,  and  cap- 
tured by  the  auxiliaries  of  the  faith,  and  mentioning  the  ad- 
vances (made)  by  the  merchants  at  interest  of  one  piastre  per 
100  piastres,  with  the  hope  of  paying  it  back  to  the  principals 
or  their  agents  in  that  part. 

(There  is)  also  your  communication  dated  August  26,  1884, 
No.  34  / 144,  sent  to  the  President  of  the  Council,  with  a  list 
of  sixteen  persons,  in  which  you  ask  for  confirmation  of  the 
rank  which  you  have  bestowed  on  them. 

Also  your  letter,  No.  1  / 141,  dated  August  14, 1884,  to  the 
Mohurdar  (Keeper  of  the  Seals)  of  the  Khedive,  as  to  dis- 
posal of  the  four  decorations  you  have  given,  and  of  which  you 
enclose  a  specimen. 

Also  (as  to)  the  ranks  of  the  officers  named  by  you,  and  the 
note  containing  eleven  names,  like  Nuehr  Bey  Mahomed,  Com- 
mandant of  tlie  Army  of  Sennaar,  whom  you  made  Liwa 
(General). 

Also  your  telegram,  dated  Sept.  3,  1884,  No.  23,  to  the 
afore-mentioned  Mohurdar  (Keeper  of  Seals),  to  confirm  the 
appointment  of  rbrahim  Foozi,  and  Mohamed  Nefii,  and  Moosa 
Shoki  as  Liwas  (Generals). 

Also  your  letters,  (written)  in  European  (language),  all 
about  the  siege  of  Kartoum,  and  all  about  the  arranging  of  the 
steamers,  with  the  number  of  the  troops  in  them,  and  their 
arms,  and  the  cannon,  and  about  the  movements  of  the  troops, 
and  the  defeat  of  your  people,  and  your  request  for  reinforce- 
ments, even  if  oidy  a  single  regiment,  and  all  about  how  your 
agent  Cuzzi  turned  Moslem. 

Also  many  letters  which  had  come  to  you  from  our  lieuten- 
ants, and  what  they  contained  of  advice  ;  also  stating  the  num- 
ber of  Europeans  at  Kartoum,  3  English,  2  Austrians,  1  Prus- 
sian, 1  Frenchman,  4  Italians,  40  Greeks. 

Also  the  diary  (registry)  of  the  arms,  ammunition,  guns  and 
soldiers  sealed  by  Faraj  (Ferratch)  ez  Zainy,  Commander  of 
the  Army,  which  has  2  Krupp  guns  and  284  shells  ;  11  moun- 

s  Suggests  that,  in  place  of  the  railway  from  Wady  Haifa,  the  Cata- 
racts be  passed  as  suggested  by  General  Gordon. 


456  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

tain  field-pieces,  and  their  ammunition  (?  cartridges),  number- 
ing 2,303  ;  2  matchlock  guns  and  their  ammunition,  315  ;  5 
mortars  and  their  amuauuition,  565  ;  and  1  field-piece,  and  2 
mitrailleuses  without  ammunition  ;  and  8  howitzers  (?)  and 
their  ammunition,  599  ;  and  7,064  Remington  rifles,  and  1,205 
percussion  muskets  ;  and  246  muskets  (called)  arshalik  ;  and 
127  rifles,  old  bore,  and  19  pistols  ;  and  the  ammunition  (car- 
tridges) for  the  Remingtons  being  150,233  packets.  And  the 
nuniber  of  the  soldiers  :  2  Li  was  (Generals),  2  Colonels,  5 
Lieut.-Colonels,  and  so  on  for  other  grades,  and  2,370  pri- 
vates ;  the  contingent  of  Bashi-Bazouk,  and  of  the  Shaggyeh 
and  Khotriyeh  and  others,  the  amount  of  their  strength  (being) 
26  divisions,  numbering  4,797  men.  Also  giving  the  number 
of  the  servants  of  the  arsenal  and  on  the  steamers,  ship  by 
ship. 

We  have  also  taken  knowledge  of  the  two  letters  of  Salehh, 
the  Melek  of  the  Sanjak  (district)  of  Sanik,  which  he  gave  up 
to  us  (the  Mahdi). 

One  of  them,  dated  April  30,  1884,  in  which  he  threatens 
(this)  ;  and  the  second,  dated  May  1,  in  which  he  states  that 
which  he  has  already  stated,  and  in  which  he  asks  for  his 
reward. 

We  have  also  noted  the  telegram  of  the  officials  and  of  the 
presidents  of  courts,  and  of  the  Kadi  and  the  Muftis  and 
Ulema,  numbering  34,  sent  to  the  Mohurdar  of  the  Khedive  in 
Egypt,  dated  August  28,  1884,  in  which  they  ask  for  succour 
from  the  Egyptian  Government  ;  to  which  was  attached  your 
note  to  the  Mudir  of  Dongola  on  account  of  his  drafts.  Also 
your  cipher  telegrams,  one  of  which  is  dated  August  8,  1884, 
to  the  Mohurdar  of  the  Khedive,  in  which  you  explain  that  on 
your  arrival  at  Kartoum  the  impossibility  had  become  clear  to 
you  of  withdrawing  the  troops  and  the  employes,  and  sending 
them  to  Egypt  ;  on  account  of  the  disturbances  (rebellions) 
in  the  country,  and  the  cutting  (closing)  of  the  roads  ;  for 
which  reason  j^ou  ask  for  reinforcements,  which  did  not  come 
until  that  happened  which  has  hajjpened  to  the  Mudiriyeh  of 
Berber. 

Also  about  your  coming  to  Kartoum  with  seven  men  after 
the  annihilation  of  Hicks's  army  ;  and  your  requesting  a  tele- 
gram to  be  sent  to  you  in  Arabic,  in  plain  language  about  the 
Soudan,  to  show  to  the  people  of  Kartoum  —  as  the  telegrams 
in  European  cipher  do  not  exjjlain  enough,  except  only  certain 
news  (matters),  and  their  meaning  is  not  intelligible,  except 
only  certain  things  (which  are  understood). 

And  also  (you  refer)  to  the  useless  waste  of  time,  so  much 
so,  that  from  your  repeated  promises  to  the  people  of  Kartoum 
about  arrival  of  reinforcements,  you  have  appeared  to  themi 
as  if  you  were  a  liar. 


APPENDICES.  457 

Also  (about)  your  asking  for  Turkish  troops  and  your  prom- 
ise to  send  your  representative,  Stewart,  and  Mr.  Power  to 
Dongola,  both  of  whom  the  Most  High  God  has  destroyed. 

And  the  second  (telegram)  with  the  same  date  and  the  same 
tenor,  to  the  President  of  the  Council  and  the  English  Minister 
in  Cairo. 

And  the  third  (telegram)  dated  August  28,  1884,  to  the 
Mohurdar  (of  the  Khedive),  in  which  j'ou  promise  to  send  a 
detachment  to  attack  Sheikh  el  Obeyed  ;  which  you  sent,  and 
the  Most  High  God  has  destroyed. 

Also  your  letter  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt,  without  date,  in 
which  you  ask  to  have  English  soldiers  sent,  and  appoint  Zu- 
bair  Pasha  with  reinforcements  for  withdrawal  of  the  Egyp- 
tian troops  to  Egypt,  and  that  you  (will)  give  the  Soudan  to 
the  Sultan  on  the  arrival  of  the  reinforcements  of  200,000 
men.  And  (you  state  that)  if  this  be  not  done,  those  in  the 
Soudan  will  be  killed,  and  their  blood  will  be  on  their  con- 
science (i.  e.  those  to  whom  he  writes  will  be  responsible  for 
their  deaths).  And  the  last  you  say  in  it  (is)  that  Mahomed 
Ali  Pasha  is  the  only  and  single  one  in  the  Soudan  on  whom 
you  (could)  rely  to  take  your  place.  But  God  has  destroyed 
Mohammed  Ali  Pasha,  on  whom  you  rely. 

The  fourth  telegram  is  dated  August  28,  to  the  Khedive  of 
Egypt,  and  to  Nubar  Pasha  and  the  English  Consul  in  Egypt, 
in  which  you  say  that  you  were  expecting  the  reinforcements, 
before  asked  for  —  by  way  of  Merowe  —  and  also  state  the 
telegrams  sent  to  the  above-named  at  that  date  ;  in  which  you 
speak  about  fighting  my  auxiliaries,  and  about  your  having 
provisions  for  five  months. 

Also  the  telegram,  dated  August  25,  1884,  to  the  above- 
mentioned,  in  which  you  pretend  (suppose)  that  Ibrahim  el 
Obeyed  has  been  killed.  And  you  say  that  you  have  the  news 
of  our  arrival,  which,  however,  was  not  confirmed. 

And  your  letter  to  the  President  of  the  Council  and  the 
English  minister  in  Cairo,  dated  August  8,  1884,  in  which  you 
speak  of  your  appointing  three  steamers  to  go  and  inquire  as 
to  the  state  of  Sennaar,  and  that  you  will  send  soldiers  to  Ber- 
ber by  the  steamers  to  re-capture  it,  sending  with  them  Stewart 
and  the  Consuls,  whom  the  Most  High  God  has  destroyed. 

And  the  telegram,  dated  August  8,  1884,  sent  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Council  and  the  English  Minister,  in  which  you 
promise  to  send  2,000  soldiers  to  Berber  for  recovering  it,  and 
(say)  that  unless  the  reinforcements  come  to  strengthen  Ber- 
ber, when  the  water  of  the  Nile  gets  lower  the  same  thing  will 
happen  again  to  Berber  which  had  (already)  happened. 

Also  your  telegram  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  and  Nubar 
Pasha,  dated  Sept.  8,  1884,  in  which  you  say  it  was  your  pur- 
pose to  remove  those  (the  garrison,  &c.)  at  Sennaar,  but  that 


^0 


458  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

you  saw  th?.t  it  would  not  be  done  ;  and  (you  mention)  the 
sorrow  of  tlie  inhabitants  and  of  the  employes  at  Kartoum 
and  Sennaar  at  the  non-arrival  of  succour. 

Also  the  telegram,  dated  Sept.  9,  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt 
and  Nubar  Pasha  and  to  the  General,  in  which  you  speak  of  the 
sending  of  Stewart  and  those  with  him  by  the  small  steamer, 
and  (with)  the  two  large  steamers  escorting  them  for  protec- 
tion. And  that  you  had  so  many  times  already  asked  for  suc- 
cour, aud  had  deep  anxiety  for  the  state  of  the  Soudan. 

And  (stating)  that  you  had  received  no  answer  whatever, 
so  that  the  people  had  become  disgusted. 

Also  your  telegram,  dated  August  28,  1884,  stating  that  (as 
to)  the  Firman  emanating  from  the  Khedive  to  all  the  nobles 
and  notables  and  people  of  the  Soudan,  announcing  the  with- 
drawal of  the  troops  of  the  Government  from  it,  and  their 
evacuation  of  the  country,  (and)  leaving  it  to  the  Soudanese 
to  appoint  rulers  of  the  country  from  among  the  natives, — 
you  had  not  been  able  to  commuuicate  or  to  show  it  to  anybody 
on  account  of  what  had  taken  place. 

Also  (we  have  seen)  the  two  seals  engraved  ^vith  our  name 
to  imitate  our  seal. 

We  never  miss  any  of  your  news,  nor  what  is  in  your  inner- 
most thoughts,  and  about  the  strength  and  support  —  not  of 
God  —  on  which  you  rely.     We  have  now  understood  it  all. 

Tricks  in  making  ciphers,  and  using  so  many  languages,  are 
of  no  avail. 

From  the  Most  High  God,  to  whom  be  praise,  no  secrets  can 
be  hidden. 

As  to  your  expecting  reinforcements,  reliance  for  succour  on 
others  than  God,  that  will  bring  you  nothing  but  destruction, 
and  (cause  you  to)  fall  into  utmost  danger  in  this  world  and 
the  next.  « 

For  God  most  High  has  dispersed  sedition  through  our  mani- 
festation, and  has  vanquished  the  wicked  and  obstinate  people, 
and  has  guided  those  who  have  vmderstanding  to  the  way  of 
righteousness. 

And  there  is  no  refuge  but  in  God,  and  in  obedience  to  His 
command,  and  that  of  His  Prophet  and  of  Plis  Mahdi. 

No  doubt  you  have  heard  what  has  happened  to  your  breth- 
ren, from  whom  you  expected  help,  at  Suakin  and  elsev,'here, 
whom  God  has  destroyed,  and  dispersed  aud  abandoned. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  as  we  have  now  arrived  at  Mushra' 
el  Koweh',  at  a  day's  journey  from  Omdurman,  and  are  coming, 
please  God,  to  your  place,  if  you  return  to  the  Most  High 
God,  and  become  a  Moslem,  and  surrender  to  His  order  and 
that  of  His  Prophet,  and  believe  in  us  as  the  Mahdi,  send  us 
a  message  from  thee,  and  from  those  with  thee,  after  laying 
down  your  arms  and  giving  up  the  thought  of  fighting,  so  that 


APPENDICES.  459 

I  may  send  you  one  with  safe  conduct,  by  which  you  will  obtain 
(assurance  of)  benefit  of  the  blessing  in  this  world  and  the 
next.  Otherwise,  and  if  you  do  not  act  thus,  you  will  have  to 
encounter  war  from  God  and  His  Prophet.  And  know  that 
the  Most  High  God  is  mighty  (able)  for  thy  destruction,  as  He 
has  destroyed  (others)  before  thee,  who  were  much  stronger 
than  thou,  and  more  numerous. 

And  you,  and  your  children,  and  your  property,  will  be  for  a 
prey  to  the  Moslems,  and  you  will  re^jent  when  repentance  will 
not  avail.  For,  after  the  beginning  of  the  battle  were  you  to 
surrender,  it  would  be  from  fear,  and  not  willingly,  and  that 
will  not  be  accepted. 

And  there  is  no  succour  or  strength  but  in  God,  and  peace 
be  upon  those  who  have  followed  the  Guidance.^ 

Dated  (Wednesday)  7th  day  2nd  of  Moharram,  1302. 
Oct.  22,  1884. 

Postscript.  —  In  one  of  your  cipher  telegrams  sent  to  Bahhri 
and  seized,  you  mention  that  the  troops  present  in  Bahr  Gazelle 
and  the  Equator  and  elsewhere  (number)  30,000  soldiers, 
whom  you  cannot  leave  behind,  even  though  you  should  die. 

And  know  that  Bahr  Gazelle  and  the  Equator  are  both  of 
them  under  our  hand  (power),  and  that  both  have  followed  us 
as  Mahdi,  and  that  they  and  their  chief  and  all  their  officers 
are  now  among  the  auxiliaries  of  the  Mahdi.  And  they  have 
joined  our  lieutenant  in  that  part,  and  letters  from  them  are 
constantly  coming  and  gomg  without  hindrance  or  diminution 
of  numbers. 

And  here  inclosed  are  two  letters  of  those  which  we  have 
received  from  our  agents  (lieutenants)  there.  On  seeing  them 
thou  wilt  understand  and  know  if  Bahr  Gazelle  is  (or  not)  in 
thy  possession  as  thou  thinkest,  or  whether  it  forms  part  and 
parcel  of  the  Mahdi's  dominions. 

And  for  thy  better  information,  and  in  our  compassion  for 
thee  and  the  worshippers  of  God  (with  thee),  we  have  thought 
of  adding  this  postscript,  and  so  that  you  should  see  clearly 
what  to  do,  this  postscript  was  necessary. 

(Seal.)  There  is  no  God  but  (God)  Allah. 

Mahomed  is  the  prophet  of  (God)  Allah. 
Mahomed  the  Mahdi  (son  of)  Abd-Allah. 
(Year)  1292. 

This  Seal  is  square,  and-very  large.  It  is  roughly  engraved, 
and  the  inscription  forms  a  triplet,  each  line  ending  with  the 
name  of  God. 

The  letter  is  altogether  written  on  one  side  of  a  very  large 
sheet  of  paper. 

6  The  word  Mahdi  signifies  guide. 


460  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

APPENDIX  Va. 

(Enclosure  in  U.) 

Letter  from  Mohammed  Sheikh  ISrnhammed  Kerkasawi  to  Achmet,  son 
of  Suleiman. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Merciful  and  Compassionate.  Praise 
be  to  God  the  Supreme  Ruler,  and  blessing  and  peace  upon 
our  lord  Mahomed  and  his  successois  with  salutation. 

From  tlie  Fakir  of  God,  the  humble  and  lowly,  Mahomed 
Sheikh  Mahomed  Kerkasawi  to  our  brother  and  beloved  in 
God,  to 

Achmed,  son  of  Suleiman,  Receiver  General  of  the  Treasury 
of  the  Moslems.     May  God  preserve  him.     Amen  ! 

After  praying  for  the  peace  of  God  and  His  blessing  and 
mercy  upon  you  ;  if  you  inquire  after  me  (I  can  say  that)  I 
am  by  God's  help  in  possession  of  all  the  conditions  of  good 
health. 

As  to  the  information  which  we  have  to  give  you  (it)  is  that 
on  the  arrival  of  the  Emir  Karm  lUah  Sheikh  Mohammed  in 
the  parts  of  the  Bahr  Gazelle  and  the  neighbourhood  of  Sir- 
kua,  your  servant  had  been  appointed  to  the  office  of  gather- 
ing in  the  crops  ;  and  we  had  not  received  news  of  his  arrival, 
excepting  from  the  letter  which  reached  us  from  the  Emir 
Abdullah,^  surnamed  Bilbitn,  in  which  he  asked  my  presence 
at  the  seat  of  the  Mudiriyeh.  On  my  arrival  at  the  seat  afore- 
named, I  got  to  know  positively  about  that,  and  after  that  I 
tried,  with  the  Emir  Abdullah,  to  obtain  the  consent  and  sur- 
render (of  the  people  there)  without  delay. 

In  the  interval  there  came  two  dervishes  from  the  Emir 
Karm  Illah  ;  in  their  hands  were  several  letters  to  us  and  to 
some  of  the  brethren,  and  to  the  Emir  Abdullah, 

After  these  letters  had  been  carefully  read  by  us,  the  Emir 
Abdullah  stopped  the  (carrying  out  of  the)  surrender  to  the 
Emir  (Karm  Illah),  because  no  letter  had  been  sent  to  him 
to  his  (own)  address  by  his  Highness. 

So  we  and  all  the  brethren  used  our  utmost  efforts  with  him, 
(urging)  the  desirableness  of  (his)  sending  a  letter  from  him 
to  the  Emir  Karm  Illah,  requesting  him  (tlie  latter)  to  send 
(on)  the  letter  of  his  Highness  that  it  might  be  considered, 
and  as  to  settling  the  mode  of  surrender.  And  this  was  done. 
When  the  letter  was  written,  I  received  it,  and  went  with  it  in 
compa'.iy  of  the  two  dervishes  above-named,  and  with  us  went 
the  Sheikh  Wakia'  Allah  Edrisi  and  ]\Iahomed  Salim  esh 
Shareef  ;  and  Haj  Omar,  all  of  them  of  the  inliabitants  of  this 

6  Lupton  Bey's  assumed  name. 


APPENDICES.  461 

seat  (of  the  Mudiriyeli),  they  bemg  appointed  with  me  by 
order  of  the  Emir  Abdullah  for  bringing  quickly  the  Procla- 
mation written  by  H.  E.  the  Mahdi. 

On  our  arrival  at  (the  place  of)  Karm  lUah,  and  on  his 
reading  the  letter  of  the  said  Emir  (Abdallah),  he  ordered 
copy  to  be  made  of  the  Proclamation  and  gave  it  to  me. 
Those  appointed  with  me  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  seat  (of  the 
Mudiriyeli)  also  wrote  a  message  as  they  remained  with  the 
Emir  Kami  Illah.  On  receiving  the  letter  from  the  afore- 
named, I  came  back  with  it  to  the  Emir  Abdullah,  who  on 
reading  it  with  intelligence,  in  the  presence  of  the  brethren, 
all  of  them  became  delighted  and  filled  with  happiness  and 
joy  which  could  not  be  exceeded. 

Especially  the  Emir  Abdullah  obeyed  and  accepted  (the 
terms  of)  the  proclamation  of  his  Highness  ;  and  so  everything 
was  settled  with  the  help  of  God,  the  Lord  to  whom  worship 
(is  due). 

All  the  brethren  are  longing  to  see  his  Highness,  and  so  the 
letters  were  written  from  the  Emir  Abdullah  and  the  brethren 
in  the  form  of  a  deed  (compact)  of  submission  by  them,  and 
of  obedience  to  the  Emir  Karm  Illah,  appointed  by  his  High- 
ness the  Mahdi,  which  I  took,  and  went  to  the  town  of  Yanikah, 
the  place  where  the  afore-named  Emir  was  encamped  ;  and  I 
delivered  it  to  him,  and  on  his  reading  and  understanding  it, 
his  countenance  expressed  joy  thei'eat.  And  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  the  Emir  Abdullah,  informing  him  of  his  being  about  to 
leave  the  town  of  Yanikah,  and  to  come  to  the  seat  of  the 
Mudiriyeli  on  Tuesday,  the  25th  of  Jamad  el  Akhar,  1301,  and 
he  gave  the  safe  conduct  for  all  —  for  themselves,  their  fami- 
lies, and  their  property.  And,  praise  be  to  God  Most  High, 
on  the  day  named  we  and  the  Emir  Karm  Illah,  and  the 
troops  with  him,  arrived  at  an  hour's  distance  from  the  seat 
(of  the  Mudiriyeli).  And  the  Emir  Abdullah  and  all  the 
notables  and  the  brethren  came  to  meet  us  outside  of  the 
wooden  stockade  surrounding  the  seat  (of  the  Mudiriyeli). 
The  meeting  was  like  the  iiieetmg  of  dear  friends  with  each 
other,  and  it  was  a  memorable  day  for  all  that  was  accom- 
plished therein,  and  for  the  filling  up  of  (our)  joy. 

On  our  entering  the  Mahhkameh  (Court  of  Justice)  of  the 
Mudiriyeli,  and  on  the  friends  and  the  Emirs  being  seated,  the 
Emir  Abdullah  rose,  and,  standing  ujiright,  uttered  the  two 
declarations  of  testimony,  saying,  "  I  testify  that  there  is  no 
God  but  God  ;  and  I  testify  that  our  Lord  Mohammed  is  the 
prophet  of  God,  blessing  be  upon  him,  and  that  the  (Sey3'ed '') 
Lord  Mohammed,  son  of  the  Lord  Abdullah,  he  (is)  the  Mahdi 
and  Khalif  of  God  and  His  prophet."     Likewise  (after  this) 

■'The  term  Seyyed  (Lord)  is  given  ouly  to  the  reputed  descendants 
(or  family)  of  Mahommed. 


462  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

the  two  Copts  Gabriel  B'abal  and  Salehh  Shaiioocla,  became 
Moslems,  and  uttered  the  two  testimonies  before  the  Emir 
Karm  Illah  (who  received  their  profession  of  faith). 

After  which  all  (the  property)  which  was  in  the  stores  of 
the  Mudiriyeh,  situated  in  the  seat  (thereof)  and  elsewhere, 
became  the  property  of  the  Treasury  of  Islam,  as  stated  in  the 
letters  of  the  Emir  Karm  lUah  sent  to  his  Highness. 

And  we  pray  God  Most  High,  to  whom  be  praise,  that  Ha 
may  soon  grant  us  the  favour  of  a  journey  (Hejira)  to  the 
honoured  place,  that  we  may  be  blessed  with  sight  of  his  Ex- 
cellency the  Mahdi,  and  that  we  may  be  included  in  the  num- 
ber of  the  warriors  on  the  way  (for  the  truth)  of  God. 

I  send  from  me  to  their  Excellencies  (the  Hanifs)  the  nobles, 
and  Emirs,  and  friends,  and  acquaintances  who  fight  for  God, 
thousands  of  salaams  of  God  so  long  as  I  live. 

(Signed)     Mohammed  Shaikh  Mohammed. 

"Written  17  Ramadan,  1301. 
July  11,  188i. 

APPEXDIX   U6. 

(Enclosure  in  U.) 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  merciful  and  compassionate,  &c. 

From  the  servant  of  his  Lord,  the  Fakir,  Karam  Utah,  Sheikh  Moham- 
med at  Bahr  el  Gazele  to  the  relation  of  the  Mahdi  and  Emir  of  the 
army  of  the  JIahdi,  the  Khalif  Abdallah  Ben  of  the  Seyyed  Moham- 
med.   May  his  glory  be  prolonged. 

After  paying  our  dutiful  salutations  and  respectful  compli- 
ments, if  you  inquire  about  us  (we  can  say)  all  praise  to  the 
Most  High,  all  is  well,  and  I  have  the  honour  to  announce  to 
you  we  have  captured  a  large  number  of  (female)  slaves  as 
booty  ;  and  tliat  about  1,330  head  of  slaves  have  already  been 
sent  to  Shakka,*  including  200  slaves  of  Kanawi  (of)  Alyoo, 
which  family  passes  to  the  Moslem  Treasury  (i.e.  their  value); 
and  this  (was  done)  in  three  divisions  the  first  time  (under 
convoy  of  )  the  Fakih  Ahlimed  Mohammed,  the  Shakiyi  ;  the 
second  (party)  wliich  is  considered  the  most  numerous,  (under 
convoy  of  )  our  brotlier  Mohammed  Sheikh  Mohammed  Kar- 
kasawi,  and  the  third  under  convoy  of  the  conductor  Moham- 
med Salehh  et  Toom  ;  (being)  needed  for  buying  (barter  for) 
horses  for  use  of  our  auxiliaries,  with  the  knowledge  of  our 
brother  INIohammed  el  Karkasawi.  And  those  which  may  be 
sent  to  your  honour  to  the  noble  camp  (i.  e.  the  Malidi's  camp), 
will  be  also  with  his  knowledge,  as  he  has  already  been  ap- 
pointed from  here  for  that  purpose. 

8Shakka  is  often  pronounced  Shagga. 


APPENDICES.  463 

Also  all  the  Fakirs,  our  auxiliaries,  have  been  distributed  in 
the  different  zerebas  in  order  to  collect  the  booty.  And,  please 
God,  all  that  can  be  got  will  be  sent  to  Shaka  by  degrees 
(as  captured).  And  Mahomed  Sheikh  Mohammed  Karkasawi 
is  my  brother  (son)  of  my  father  and  mother  —  older  than  me, 
and  he  it  is  who  helped  us  to  take  the  town  of  Bahr  Ghazel  — 
and  in  consideration  of  his  good  management  we  have  ap- 
pointed him  (to  go)  to  Shaka  to  barter  slaves  for  horses.  And 
the  slaves  wdiich  may  be  sent  to  your  Honour  will  be  with  his 
knowledge  and  by  his  instructions.  And  as  the  slaves  taken 
as  booty  are  exceedingly  numerous  in  this  part,  and  are  con- 
tinually arriving  at  the  camp  of  the  Mudir,  we  are  much  pressed 
in  despatching  them  and  in  looking  after  them. 

If  it  is  agreeable  to  your  Honour  (please)  to  write  to  Sheikh 
Manzal  Hamid,  and  the  sons  of  Hamad  l)odao,  about  their 
giatuitous  assistance,  and  their  surrendering  the  booty  to  our 
brother.  Shaikh  Mohammed  Karkasawi.  We  are  at  present 
awaiting  the  orders  of  your  Excellency,  (whether)  to  remain 
here  or  to  come  to  you,  or  to  wait  for  tlie  drying  up  of  the 
waters  of  the  rain,  out  of  compassion  (in  consideration  for) 
the  believers  (the  slaves)  who  have  little  infants. 

And  we  pray  the  most  high  God,  to  whom  be  praise,  to  bring 
us  soon  together  witli  your  Excellency. 

Salaam  !  (Signed)  Karam  Illah  Maiiomed. 

Dated  22  Sha'aban,  1301. 
June  17,  1884. 

Postscript.  —  My  Lord,  after  what  I  have  stated  to  you,  your 
servant  awaits  your  orders  ;  if  your  answer  is  that  I  should 
wait  (here)  or  otherwise. 

This  is  (all)  that  is  needful  (to  write).     Salaam. 


APPENDIX  UfZ. 

Copy  of  Telegram  from  his  Exf^ellencv  Gordon  Pa?ha  to  his  Excellency 
Ferratch  Ullah  Bey,  Commandant  of  Omdurman 

Sheikh  Mahomed  Aehmed  has  sent  us  a  letter  to  inform  us 
that  Lupton  Bey,  Mudir  of  Bahr  Gazelle,  has  surrendered  to 
him,  and  that  the  small  steamer  in  which  was  Stewart  Pasha 
has  been  captured  by  him,  together  with  what  was  therein. 
And  he  demands  that  we  should  surrender  to  him. 

But  to  me  it  is  all  one  whether  Lupton  Bey  has  surrendered 
or  has  not  surrendered.  And  whether  he  has  captured  twenty 
thousand  steamers  like  the  Abbas,  or  twenty  thousand  (officers) 
like  Stewart  Pasha  (or  not) ;  it  is  all  one  to  me. 

I  am  here,  like;  iron,  and  hope  to  see  the  newly-arrived  Eng- 
lish ;  and  if  Mahomed  Aclimed  says  that  the  English  die,  it  is 


464  GENERAL    GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

all  the  same  to  me.  And  you  must  take  a  copy  of  this  and 
give  it  to  the  messenger  from  Slatiu,  and  send  him  out  early  in 
the  morning,  that  he  may  go  to  him.  It  is  impossible  for  me 
to  have  any  more  words  with  Mahomed  Achmed,  only  lead  ; 
and  if  Mahomed  Achmed  is  willing  to  fight  he  had  better,  in- 
stead of  going  to  Omdurman,  go  to  the  AVhite  Nile  by  the 
moat. 

And  after  this  the  messengers  whom  he  wants  to  send 
to  us  must  not  come  by  the  Omdurman  ;  they  had  better 
come  by  the  moat  afore-mentioned.  And  send  a  literal  copy 
of  this,  according  to  orders  —  when  it  has  been  sealed  by  you 
—  by  the  emissary  of  Slatin  Bey  to  be  delivered,  and  explain 
to  him  that  this  is  by  our  order. 

At  night. 

3  of  Moharram,  1302. 
22ud  October,  188-4. 

The  forcible  sentence:  "lam  here  like  iron,  and  I  hope  to  see  tho 
newly-arrived  English,"  runs  as  a  rhymed  couplet :  — 

"  Wa  ana  niawjood  bona  zey  el  hhadeed 
Wa  ashoof  el  Ingleez  el  jadeed." 

This  may  have  been  accidental  on  the  part  of  the  scribe,  for  the  letter  is 
■written  in  Arabic,  but  it  is  worth  notice.  The  phraseology,  and  even 
the  words,  are  General  Gordon's  own  —  as  he  wrote  in  a  former  letter 
that  he  chose  his  own  words  by  help  of  his  dictionary,  and  did  not 
suSer  his  scribes  to  write  only  as"  they  pleased. 


Supposed  Enclosure  in  Mahdi's  letter. 

Intercepted  communication  from  General  Gordon  to  the  Mudir  of 
Dongola. 

Note  (in  Arabic)  from  General  Gordon  to  the  Mudir  of  Dongola. 

To  His  Excellency  the  Mudir  of  Dongola. 

Wire  the  telegram  enclosed  herein  to  Cairo  from  the  station 
at  Dongola,  and  charge  the  expense  to  account  of  the  Mudi- 
riyeh  (Government  account). 

(Signed)        C.  G.  Gordon  {across  the  seal). 

Dated  7  ZuM  Heijeli. 

Sept.  28,  1884. 
Gordon  Pasha. 

Written  on  a  small  piece  of  thin  paper  4  by  4^  inches. 

Au  Consulat  General  d'Autriche-Hongrie  a  Caire. 

KARTOUir,  21  September,  1884. 
To-day  was  a  joj-ful  Sunday  !     The  inhabitants  of  the  city 
were  stirred  with  joy  when  the  salvoes  of  artillery  announced 
from  the  fort  the  approach  of  the  English  relieving  army. 


APPENDICES.  465 

Three  express  messengers  brought  to  General  Gordon  an 
autograph  letter  from  Lord  Wolseley  from  Debbe.  Rescue 
after  all  !     Long  live  England  ! 

Now  at  least  the  lives  of  (so  many)  these  thousands  will  be 
saved,  even  though  goods  and  chattels  be  lost. 

Yesterday  the  news  had  been  already  orally  spread  of  an 
army  approaching  from  Dongola,  but  found  no  credence,  any 
more  than  many  other  false  rumours.  It  was  also  said  that 
the  first  messenger  who  left  on  the  9th  for  Dongola  had 
passed  Berber  without  hindrance,  and  will  probably  reach 
Cairo  in  safety. 

Further,  I  was  able,  on  the  13th,  to  speak  outside  the  city 
lines  with  Georgio  Calamatino,  the  letter-carrier  of  the 
Mahdi.  He  was  in  dervish  dress.  I  sent  the  missionaries 
100  dollars  by  him.  The  Mahdi  was  then  in  Schatt,  four 
hours  from  Duem,  with  all  the  European  prisoners,  and 
among  them  Slatin,  who  were  enrolled  as  dervishes  in  the 
armoury.  (^Secret :  the  missionaries  of  both  sexes  have  ac- 
cepted [the  religion  of]  Islam.  The  six  sisters  are  married 
to  Greeks  ;  only  the  superior,  Don  Luigi  Bonorn,  remained 
steadfast,  but  he  is  condemned  to  martyrdom  unless  he  also 
apostatizes). 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  English 
we  may  or  must  remove  (emigrate).  No  one  knows  whether 
they  will  permanently  occupy  the  country  or  only  effect  the 
complete  evacuation. 

With  respect  and  devotion, 

(Signed)  M.  L.  Hansal, 

Consulate  General  of  Austro-Hungary,  Cairo. 

Also  written  on  a  small  piece  of  thin  paper. 

Note  (in  Arabic)  from  General  Gordon  to  the  Mudir  of  Dongola. 

To  His  Excellency  the  Mudir  of  Dongola. 
Take  from  bearer  Mohammed  Achmet,  on  his  safe  arrival, 
the  telegrams  sent  by  him,  and  forward  them  to  their  desti- 
nation, and  give  him  fifty  dollars  ;  and  if  you  have  any  tele- 
grams for  us  send  them  by  him  that  he  may  bring  them 
here. 

(Signed)  Gordon. 

C.  G.  Gordon  {icritten  in  pencil  across  the  seal). 

Dated  15  Shawwal,  1301. 

Aug.  8,  1884. 
Gordon  Pasha  iu  Karloum. 

Written  on  a  small  piece  of  thin  paper  4  inches  by  3. 


466  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 


APPENDIX   V. 

MANIFESTO   OF   THE    MAHDI   TO   THE   INHABITANTS   OF 
KARTOUM. 

In  the  year  1309. 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Merciful  and  Compassionate. 

Praise  be  to  God,  the  bountiful  Ruler,  and  blessing  on  our 
Lord  Mahomed  and  his  successors,  with  peace. 

From  the  servant  of  his  Lord,  Mahomed  the  Mahdi,  son  of 
the  Seyyed  Abdallah,  to  his  beloved  in  God,  the  believers  in 
God,  and  in  His  Book  (the  Koran). 

The  changes  (disturbances)  of  the  times  are  not  hidden 
from  you,  nor  the  forsaking  of  the  Sunnas  ;  and  he  who  has 
the  (true )  faith  and  understanding  will  not  be  pleased  thereat, 
but  will  leave  all  he  needs  and  his  native  place  (house  and 
home)  in  defence  of  religion  and  the  Sunnas  ;  and  therefore 
jealousy  for  Islam  will  not  delay  to  possess  in  full  strength 
(the  heart  of)  the  believer. 

Xow,  O  my  beloved  !  as  to  what  the  Most  High  God,  to 
whom  be  praise,  has  willed  in  His  Eternity  and  in  His  decrees 
to  grant  to  His  servant,  the  humble  and  lowly,  in  (bestowing 
on  him)  the  great  Khalifate  :  — 

The  eminent  Lord  (Mahomed),  on  whom  be  blessing  and 
peace,  several  times  informed  me  that  I  am  the  Mahdi,  the 
Expected  One,  and  (appointed)  me  (as)  successor^  to  him- 
self, on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace,  to  sit  on  his  throne,  and 
(as  successors)  to  their  Excellencies  the  four  Khalifs  and 
Princes  ^°  (of  the  Faith),  and  to  El  Khudr,  ^^  on  whom  be 
peace  :  And  God  gave  as  my  helpers,  the  angels  (who  are), 
the  Cherubim,  and  the  saints  from  Adam  to  this  our  day,  and 
also  the  believing  Jinns  ;  ^-  and  in  the  hour  of  battle  the 
eminent  Lord,  the  Bountiful  One,  on  Whom  be  blessing  and 
peace,  will  in  person  go  with  them  before  my  hosts,  as  also 
the  four  Khalifs  and  the  Princes  (of  the  faith),  and  el  Khudr, 
on  whom  be  peace. 

And  He  gave  me  the  sword  of  victory  of  his  Excellency 
(Mahomed),  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace  ;  and  it  was 
made  known  to  me  that  none  of  either  race,  human  or  Jinn, 
can  conquer  him  who  has  it. 

Then  said  he,  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace,  "  God  has 
given  to  thee  a  sign  that  thou  art  the  Mahdi  ; "  which  (sign) 

9  The  word  here  used  is  the  one  from  which  Khalif  is  derived. 

1"  This  word  primarily  means  the  pole  or  axis  of  the  Universe,  &c. 

11  The  saint  who  is  supposed  to  be  immortal,  and  to  have  appeared 
first  as  Elijah  and  afterwards  as  St.  George. 

1-  The  JMohammedans  divide  the  Jinns  (or  demons)  into  believers 
in  Mohammed  and  unbelievers. 


APPENDICES.  467 

is  the  mole  on  my  right  cheek  ;  and  he  likewise  gave  to  me 
another  sign  (namely,  that)  there  should  go  forth  before  me 
in  the  hour  of  battle  a  banner  of  light,  borne  by  Azra'il,  ^^  on 
whom  be  peace,  that  by  it  God  should  convince  my  friends, 
and  terror  should  fall  upon  the  hearts  of  my  enemies,  and 
(that)  God  will  destroy  whoever  should  encounter  me  in 
hostility. 

Then  he,  on  whoni  be  blessing  and  peace,  said  to  me  ; 
"  Thou  art  created  out  of  the  effulgence  of  my  innermost 
heart,"  and  he  to  whom  happiness  (is  granted)  will  believe  I 
am  the  Mahdi,  the  Expected  One.  But  God  has  put  hypocrisy 
(wickedness)  into  the  heart  of  those  who  love  vain  pomp,  and 
they  will  not  believe,  being  greedy  of  their  vain  pomps. 

Then  he,  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace,  said  :  Love  of 
wealth  and  pomps  causes  hypocrisy  to  spring  up  in  the  heart 
as  water  causes  the  herb  to  spring  up  ;  and  it  is  found  in  the 
Athar  (traditional  sayings  about  Mahomed)  :  If  you  see 
worldlings  loving  this  world,  charge  them  with  it.  And  it  is 
found  in  some  of  the  ancient  books  (saying)  :  Do  not  ask  of 
me  a  world  intoxicated  with  love  of  earthly  things,  for  it  will 
close  against  thee  the  way  of  my  love.  And  these  (are  they 
who  like  brigands)  stoj)  the  way  of  (true)  service  (of  God). 

And  when  there  came  to  me,  O  my  beloved,  from  God  and 
His  prophet  the  decree  of  the  great  Khalifate,  He  ordered  me 
(to  take  my)  Hegira  ^'*  (flight)  to  Jebel  Kadeer  close  by  Masat, 
and  He  commanded  me  to  write  thence  to  all  entrusted  with 
public  offices.  I  wrote  thus  to  the  Emirs  and  Sheikhs  of 
religion,  and  the  wicked  denied  (my  mission),  but  the  righteous 
believed  ;  even  those  who  do  not  mind  any  hardship  they  may 
encounter  for  God,  nor  what  they  fail  to  attain  of  their 
dearest  wishes  ;  but  steadfastly  regard  the  jDromises  of  the 
most  High  God,  to  Whom  be  praise,  in  which  He  said  that  He 
will  reserve  that  other  world  for  those  who  do  not  desire  ex- 
altation in  this  world,  nor  (its)  corruptions.  Now  since  it  is 
for  God  to  decree,  and  since  He  has  willed  to  bestow  the  office 
of  Mf^hdi  upon  His  humble  and  insignificant  servant  Mahomed 
the  Mahdi,  the  son  of  the  Seyyed  Abdallah,  it  behoves  us  to 
submit  to  the  will  of  God  ;  and,  seeing  that  it  is  unanimously 
agreed  by  the  present  and  past  generations  to  attribute 
supreme  knowledge  to  God,  and  as  His  knowledge,  to  Whom 
be  praise,  is  not  limited  by  control  of  rules  nor  by  the 
knowledge  of  the  malevolent,  and  since  God  will  blot  out 
(abrogate)  or  establish  wliat  He  wills,  and  since  He  is  the 
source  of  the  Book  (the  Koran),  of  which  none  can  under- 
stand anything  save  what  He  wills,  and  since  with  Him  is  the 
key  of  the  unknown  (future),  — none  knows  it  but  He,  nor  is 

13  The  Angel  of  Death. 

w  This  Hegira  is  an  evident  imitation  of  the  Flij;ht  of  Mahomed. 


468  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

He  to  be  questioned  as  to  what  He  does,  —  He  creates  what  He 
will,  —  He  chooses  and  bestows  His  mercy  on  whom  He  will. 
Sheikh  Mohi  ed  Deen  Ibn  el  Arabi  especially  says  in  his  com- 
mentary on  the  glorious  Koran  that  knowledge  of  the  Mahdi 
is  like  knowledge  of  the  hour  (of  resurrection),  and  that  hour 
none  knoweth  but  God  most  High.  And  Sheikh  Ahmed  Ibn 
Edrees  said,  Fourteen  generations  of  the  generations  of  the 
people  of  God  have  denied  the  (coming  of  the)  Mahdi.  Then 
he  said  :  He  will  come  forth  from  a  place  that  they  do  not 
know  and  in  a  condition  which  they  will  disown. 

It  is  not  hidden  from  your  knowledge  that  the  writings 
about  the  (coming  of  the)  Mahdi  are  among  others  the  Athar 
and  the  Keshef  el  Ulema  and  others  ;  and  the  conclusion  of 
them  all  (is),  and  I  understand  from  them,  that  God  will  blot 
out  (abrogate)  what  passages  He  will,  and  some  of  these  are 
the  Hadith  s  (traditional  sayings),  and  among  them  Ed 
Dha'eef  and  El  Maktooa'  and  El  Mansookh  and  El  Mow- 
dhooa'.  The  Hadith  Ed  Dha'eef  is  superseded  by  the  Hadith 
El  Saheelih  word  for  word.  The  Ayat  also  are  replaced  by 
other  Ayat.^^  And  the  truth  as  to  this  is  not  known  save  to 
people  of  deep  thought  and  insight. 

Further,  this  is  what  the  eminent  Lord  (Mahomed),  on 
whom  be  blessing  and  peace,  said  to  me,  "  He  who  doubts 
that  thou  art  the  Mahdi  has  blasphemed  God  and  His 
prophet."  This  he,  blessing  and  peace  be  upon  him,  declared 
to  me  thrice. 

All  that  I  have  told  j'ou  about  my  succession  to  the  office 
of  Mahdi  was  told  to  me  by  the  eminent  Lord  (Mohammed), 
on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace,  when  I  was  awake  and  in 
perfect  health,  free  from  all  transgressions  of  the  law,  not  in 
sleep  nor  in  (a  state  of)  hallucination,  or  drunkenness  or  mad- 
ness, but  accounted  to  be  of  sound  mind,  following  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  prophet,  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace,  in  order- 
ing what  he  ordered  and  forbidding  what  he  forbade. 

And  my  Hegira  (flight)  to  the  aforesaid  places  was  neces- 
sary, according  to  the  Book  (the  Koran)  and  to  the  Sunnas.  The 
Most  High  God  has  said,  "  Those  wlio  have  had  to  flee  (make 
a  Hegira)  for  the  sake  of  God  after  having  been  persecuted  ; 
He  will  give  them  good  tilings  in  this  world,  and  the  reward 
in  the  next  will  be  greater.  And  He,  on  whom  is  blessing  and 
peace,  said,  "  One  who  has  fled  from  land  to  land,  even  though 
it  be  but  a  handbreadth  of  land,  has  deserved  Paradise,  and 
has  become  (in  so  doing)  a  partaker  with  Abraham,!^  the 
friend  of  God  and  of  Mahomed,  on  whom  be  blessing  and 
peace." 

16  Verses  ;  usually  applied  to  verses  of  the  Koran. 

16  Inasmuch  as  Abraham,  the  Friend  of  God,  was  a  pilgrim  who  left 
his  land  and  his  father's  house  by  Divine  command  to  escape  the 
idolaters. 


APPENDICES.  469 

Thus  also  in  other  passages  of  the  Hadiths. 

And  the  duty  of  listening  to  God  and  His  prophet  is  bind- 
ing. The  Most  High  God  has  said,  "  Follow  the  way  of  those 
who  are  sincere  to  Me." 

If  you  have  understood  this,  we  order  all  the  chosen  ones 
to  flee  (make  their  Hegira)  unto  us  for  the  Jehad  (holy  war) 
in  the  cause  of  God,  to  the  nearest  town,  because  God  Most 
High  has  said,  "  Slay  the  infidels  who  are  nearest  to  you  ; " 
and  he  who  holds  back  from  this  has  come  wHhin  the  threat 
uttered  by  the  Most  High.  Say  if  your  fathers,  your  sous, 
your  brethren,  your  wives,  your  tribes,  the  wealth  you  have 
gained,  the  merchandise  you  are  in  fear  of  losing,  or  the 
dwellings  you  delight  in,  are  dearer  to  you  than  God  and  His 
prophet  and  the  Jehad  (holy  war)  in  His  cause,  then  wait  till 
God  shall  come  with  His  sentence  (against  you).  (So  far) 
the  Aya  (verse). 

The  Most  High  has  also  said,  "  O  you  who  have  believed, 
why  do  you  cleave  to  the  earth  when  called  upon  to  fly  (to  the 
war)  for  God  ?  Do  you  love  the  life  of  this  world  better  than 
that  of  the  next  ?  But  the  possessions  of  this  world  will  be 
less  than  nothing  in  the  other  world." 

The  Most  High  has  also  said,  "  O  you  who  have  believed, 
why  do  you  cleave  to  the  earth  when  called  upon  to  fly  (to  the 
war)  for  God  ?  Do  you  love  the  life  of  this  world  better  than 
that  of  the  next  ?  But  the  possessions  of  this  world  will  be 
less  than  nothing  in  the  other  world."  ^"^ 

He  has  also  said,  "  Seek  not  to  fly."  He  will  torment  you 
with  eternal  torments,  and  will  accept  others  in  your  place. 

Now,  if  you  have  understood  the  foi-egoing,  hasten  to  us, 
and  fear  none  save  God,  for  fear  of  the  creature  shows  lack 
of  trust  and  confidence  in  God,  from  which  may  God  preserve 
(us). 

The  Most  High  has  said,  "  Fear  ye  not  man,  but  fear  ye 
Me  ;"  and  the  Most  High  has  said,  "Dread  them  not,  but 
dread  Me,  if  ye  be  believers." 

The  Most  High  has  said,  "  God  is  worthy  to  be  feared  ; " 
and  especially  because  God  has  promised  in  His  precious  Book 
(the  Koran)  victory  to  him  who  contends  for  the  faith. 

The  Most  High  has  said,  "  If  you  fight  for  God,  He  will 
fight  for  you  and  establish  your  goings." 

And  the  Most  High  has  said,  "  If  you  do  not  fight  for  him 
(the  Mahdi)  God  fighteth  for  him. "  Because  you  have  known 
this,  if  you  do  not  respond  to  him  who  calls  (in  the  name)  of 
God  and  hasten  to  fight  for  the  faith,  you  must  receive  pun- 
ishment from  God,  inasmuch  as  you  are  the  light  of  creation, 
its  strength,  and  its  head. 

IT  This  paragraph  is  thus  repeated  in  the  originaL 


470  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

Whoever  among  you  is  anxious  about  his  faith  and  zealous 
for  the  command  of  liis  Lord  will  answer  the  call,  and  mil 
join  with  those  that  fight  for  the  religion  of  God. 

Be  it  known  unto  you  that  I  am  of  the  family  of  the  prophet 
of  God,  on  whom  be  blessing  and  peace.  My  father  is  a 
Hhusni  on  his  father's  side  ;  and  his  mother,  and  my  mother 
likewise,  on  the  side  of  both  father  and  mother  (are)  Abbas- 
sides,  and  God  knows  that  I  am  of  the  blood  of  Hussein,  and 
these  excellent  indications  will  suffice  for  him  who  has  been 
touched  by  His  grace  and  (by)  the  faith. 

It  wUl  not  be  wonderful  if  some  do  see  and  do  not  believe  it. 

Fear  God  and  join  the  righteous,  and  help  one  another  in 
righteousness,  and  in  the  fear  of  God  and  in  the  Jehad  (holy 
war)  iu  the  cause  of  God,  and  stand  firm  within  the  boundaries 
of  God,  for  he  who  transgresses  those  boundaries  will  injure 
himself. 

Know  that  all  things  are  in  the  hand  of  God.  Leave  all  to 
Him  and  rely  on  Him.  He  who  makes  God  his  support  has 
been  guided  into  the  straight  way. 

Peace  (be  with  you). 
In  the  year  1300. 

Iu  the  name  of  God,  the  Merciful,  the  Compassionate. 
Praise  be  to  God,  the  Bountiful  Ruler,  and  blessing  and  peace 
on  our  Lord  Mahomed  and  his  successors. 

From  the  slave  of  his  Lord,  the  Imam  I\Iohammed  the  Mahdi, 
the  son  of  the  Seyyed  Abdallah,  to  all  his  beloved  in  God  the 
believers,  men  and  women,  in  God  and  in  Hi^  Book. 

What  I  have  to  inform  you  is  that  the  world  is  the  abode  of 
him  who  has  no  (other)  abode,  and  it  is  a  prison  to  believers, 
and  that  the  other  (world)  is  better,  and  (is)  enduring,  and 
that  is  the  abode  of  those  who  fear  God. 

Fear  God  and  do 

This  ^lauifesto  is  written  on  four  sides  of  a  two-leaved  sheet  of  paper, 
and  Ijreaks  ofE  abruptly,  "and  do"  being  written  at  bottom  as  catch- 
word for  the  next  page. 

Specially  to  be  noticed  is  the  attempt  made  to  forestall  the  objections 
of  those  who  would  see  that  this  man  contradicts  well  known  passages  in 
the  ^vTitings  which  Jloslems  hold  to  be  authoritative.  Mahomed  Achmet 
boldly  declares  all  such  passages  to  be  either  abrogated  or  superseded, 
or  unintelligible  save  to  those  to  whom  deep  thought  and  insight  are 
given ! 


APPENDICES.  471 

APPEXDIX  X. 

Letter  from  Major  Kitchener  to  General  Gordon. 

Debbeh,  1-ith  October,  1884. 

My  dear  GE^^:RAL  Gordon, 

Please  inform  me  b}-  this  present  messenger,  who  is  paid 
to  return,  who  were  on  board  the  steamer  that  came  down 
from  Kartoiim.  I  am  sorry  to  say,  whoever  they  were,  they 
have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Suleiman  Wady  Goun,  Sheikh  of 
the  Minassir,  ai:d  have,  I  am  afraid,  been  killed.  Lord  Wolse- 
ley  is  now  at  Wady  Haifa,  and  it  is  expected  this  expedition 
will  definitely  start  from  Dongola  on  or  about  the  1st  Xovem- 
ber.  Special  boats  are  coming  out  from  England  for  the  pas- 
sage up  the  Nile. 

There  are  a  considerable  number  of  troops  now  at  Dongbla. 
I  am  instructed  by  Sir  Evelyn  Baring  to  send  you  the  follow- 
ing telegram  from  the  Austrian  Consul-General :  — 

"  Caire,  Ire  Oct. — Je  vous  remercie  de  tout  ccEur  des 
nouvelles  que  vous  avez  bien  voulu  me  doune.  J'ai  fait 
demarches  pour  faciliter  le  voyage  de  notre  consul  de  Berber 
jusqu'au  Caire,  mais  on  m'assure  que  les  chemins  de  Berber  h. 
Debbeh  n'est  pas  libre  ;  en  tons  cas  je  vous  recommande  chau- 
demeut  la  seciirite  persoimelle  de  notre  consul  et  des  sujets 
Austro-Hongrois  et  Allemaud.  Je  serai  tres  heureux  d'avoir 
des  nouvelles  directes  de  M  jnsieur  Hausall." 

I  also  enclose  two  letters  ^  that  have  arrived  here  for  you. 

I  hope  you  have  received  some  of  my  previous  letters  ;  I 
have  received  none  from  you  in  reply. 

E>'CLosrRE  IN  Appendix  X. 
General, 

I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  such  an  interanzzo. 
Notwithstanding  they  abandoned  you,  and  they  did  not  at 
all  follow  your  instructions,  I  hope  you  will  be  victorious,  and 
your  name  engraved  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
I  am,  dear  General, 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 

Th.  Roth. 


To  Lis  Excellency  General  Gordon,  Kartoiim. 

Beklix,  4th  May,  1884. 
Dear  Sir, 

I  had  the  honour  to  write  you  on  the  10th  of  April,  &c. 
Meantime  I  permitted  me  to  do  the  following  : 
On  the  22ud  of   April  I   wired  to  Earl   Granville  :   "  For 
Heaven's  sake,  help  Gordon,  Kartoum." 

1  For  one  of  these,  see  Roth's  letter. 


472  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

And  confirmed  this  despatch  with  the  following  letter  :  — 

To  the  Eight  Honourable  Lord  Granville,  London. 

Berlin,  22nd  April,  1884. 

"  My  Lord, 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  confirm  my  telegram  of  this 
afternoon  :   '  For  Heaven's  sake,  help  Gordon,  Kartouni.' 

"  Your  Lordship  may  be  kind  enough  to  excuse  such  a  tele- 
gram. 

"  As  I  am  an  admirer  of  Gordon,  and  as  he  had  the  kindness 
to  do  his  best  to  become  liberated  my  brotlier  Gottfried  Roth, 
who  is  said  prisoner  of  the  Mahdi,  and  to  whom  your  Lordship 
congratulated  when  he  captured  at  Sint  a  band  of  slaveholders 
witli  several  hundred  slaves  some  years  ago,  I  considered  it  a 
duty  to  do  something  too  for  Gordon.  And  so  the  idea  to  wire 
to  your  Lordship,  who  perhaps  may  be  able  in  consequence  of 
your  powerfiil  position  to  let  have  Gordon  what  he  wants. 

"I  have  the  honour,  &c.,  &c." 

I  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  the  following  letter  from  the 
Secretary  of  State,  Sir  J.  Pauncef ote  :  — 

Foreign  Office,  29th  April,  1884. 
"Sir, 

"  I  am  directed  by  Earl  Granville  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  your  telegram  and  letter  of  the  22nd  instant,  urging 
that  assistance  may  be  given  to  General  Gordon  at  Kartoum. 

"  I  am.  Sir, 
"  Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

(Signed)        "J.  Pauncefote." 

Eoth  did  not  get  much  change  out  of  his  Lordship!! 

(C.  G.  Gordon.) 

APPENDIX  XL 

Arabic  Cypher  Telegram. 

Above  message  from  Lord  Wolseley,  dated  20  September, 
forwarded  by  messenger  for  second  time,  15/10/84,  from 
Debbeh. 

H.  H.  KITCHENER, 

D.A.A.G. 
This  is  the  only  paper  received. 

C.  G.  G. 


APPENDICES  TO  BOOK  VI. 


APPENDIX  Y. 

From  the  Khedive  of  Egypt. 

To  His  Excellency  Gordon  Pasha,  the  Honourable. 

(Literally  "to  His  Felicity  ! .  . . — the  excellent,"  which  is  the  usual 
formula.) 

As  it  is  known  to  you  that  the  object  of  the  coming  of  your 
Excellency  to  this  part,  and  of  your  going  to  the  Soudan,  is 
only  the  evacuation  of  that  neighbourhood  and  the  withdrawal 
of  our  troops,  now  found  there,  with  the  Government  officials 
of  the  realm,  and  the  bringing  hither  of  those  inhabitants  of 
that  part  who  may  desire  to  come  together  -srith  their  belong- 
ings, we  trust  that  your  Excellency  will  take  every  care  in  the 
fulfilment  of  this  Commission  by  employing  the  best  means  and 
arrangements  which  may  be  necessary  for  the  safety  of  those 
troops  a,nd  employes,  and  inhabitants  and  merchants,  both 
native  and  foreign,  who  may  desire  to  come  to  this  part. 

Then,  after  completion  of  this  (business),  you  will  adopt  the 
necessary  means  and  arrangements  indispensable  for  framing  a 
fii-m  government  in  the  Soudan  provinces,  that  there  may  be 
continuance  of  order  in  that  part,  and  that  there  may  be 
security  from  the  misfortunes  (which  must  befall)  the  ignorant 
populace  (left)  without  a  ruler.  And  I  rely  on  your  under- 
standing and  courage,  to  which  is  intrusted  the  carrying  out  of 
this  commission  in  the  manner  desired. 

■^  (Sealed)  Mohammed  Tewfik. 

January  27,  1884. 

(Seal  of  Mahomet  Towfik.) 

From  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  and  its  dependencies  to  ail  the 
Ulema,  Judges,  Notables,  Slaeikhs  of  Arabs  of  villages.  Mer- 
chants, and  all  inhabitants,  both  Arabs  and  domesticated  people 
in  the  Soudan  countries,  greeting. 

It  is  known  to  all  that  when  my  grandfather  Jantimgan 
Mahomed  Ali  took  the  reigns  of  Government  of  the  Lands  of 
Egypt,   he   began   to  spread  knowledge   and  education  and 


474  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

enlarge  the  sphere  of  agriculture  and  commerce  throughout 
the  same,  and  increase  the  means  of  wealth  of  the  inhabitants, 
until  Egypt  was  considered  a  well-cultivated  and  civilised  coun- 
try. After  that  he  saw  the  necessity  of  taking  (or  opening  up) 
the  Soudan  Region,  to  spread  out  the  lights  of  civilisation 
therein  —  and  God  Almighty  prospered  him  in  that  enterprise. 
From  that  time  until  now  these  regions  have  not  ceased  to  grow 
in  prosperity,  until  towns  and  market  cities  were  established 
and  enlarged,  and  commerce  grew,  and  the  inhabitants  became 
enlightened  by  the  means  of  commerce  and  agriculture.  By  a 
comparison  of  the  condition  of  the  Soudan  Regions  before  these 
conquests,  ■with  their  condition  after  it,  it  will '  clearly  appear 
that  they  progressed  and  advanced  greatly  during  the  latter 
time.  The  minds  of  the  people  were  enlightened  by  seeing 
their  own  interest  and  prosperity.  This  was  the  only  purpose 
which  moved  our  grandfather  aforesaid  to  take  these  regions. 
But  the  great  distance  that  lies  between  me  and  you  caused  a 
disintegration  which  had  for  its  result  the  rising  and  rebelling 
of  some  disturbers  against  my  Government.  This  rebellion 
caused  great  losses  of  money  and  men  without  any  fruits  at  all ; 
and  the  Land  of  Egypt  sustained  thereby  very  heavy  burdens. 
Therefore  I  have  concluded  to  give  back  again  independence  to 
the  ancient  families  of  the  Kings  of  the  Soudan  Regions.  And, 
as  I  know  that  His  Excellency  Gordon  Pasha,  during  his  stay 
among  you,  seeing  that  you  witnessed  the  good  results  of  his 
efforts  for  the  quiet  and  prosperity  of  the  country.  Therefore, 
and  also  because  he  is  deemed  an  able  man  of  politics  and  of 
your  judgment,  and  desirous  of  your  welfare.  We  have  ap- 
pointed him  to  proceed  to  those  regions  as  our  representative, 
with  full  authority  to  agree  with  in  establishing  a  peaceable 
and  amicable  way  of  withdrawing  from  those  parts,  and  bring- 
ing away  the  officials  of  my  Government  and  the  troops  with 
their  belongings  and  the  property  of  my  Government,  so  that 
the  departure  from  you  may  be  brought  about  in  perfect 
security.  I  therefore  ask  of  all  who  bear  arms  to  tlu-ow  the 
same  away,  and  to  endeavour,  with  all  diligence  and  quiet 
and  peacefulness,  to  form  their  ovm  Government  of  the  future 
within  my  boundaries,  and  to  work  for  the  prosperity  of  their 
countries,  and  the  security  of  the  roads  at  all  times  ;  so  that 
between  us  and  them  the  bonds  of  communication  shall  con- 
tinue to  exist  and  so  that  commerce  shall  be  rendered  easy, 
which  is  conducive  to  wealth,  and  so  that  civilisation  and 
luxury  may  be  furthered.  And  thus  the  bonds  of  friendship 
may  be  kept  up,  as  is  dictated  by  the  laws  of  humanity. 

Written  on  the  28th  dav  of  Eabai  the  First,  1301. 
(Jauuary  26th,  1884). 


APPENDICES.  476 

Notice  published  by  Gordon. 

Formerly  the  Government  had  decidecl  to  transport  the 
Egyptians  down  to  Cairo,  and  abandon  the  Soudan  :  and  in 
fact  some  of  them  had  been  sent  down  during  the  time  of 
Hussein  Pasha  Yusri,  as  you  yourseh'es  saw.  On  our  arrival  at 
Kartoum,  we,  on  account  of  pity  for  you,  and  in  order  not  to 
let  your  country  be  destroyed,  we  communicated  with  the 
Khedive  of  Egypt,  our  Effendi,  concerning  the  importance  and 
the  inexpediency  of  abandoning  it.  Whereupon,  the  orders  for 
abandoning  the  Soudan  were  cancelled  ;  and  serious  attention 
was  turned,  and  all  energy  was  directed  towards  smothering 
the  disturbances  and  driving  away  the  disturbers  :  therefore 
sufficient  troops  were  appointed,  both  cavalry  and  infantry 
some  time  ago  ;  and  indeed  they  have  reached  Dongola  and 
started  in  three  divisions,  one  under  the  leader  of  the  army 
and  the  Mudir  of  Dongola  is  coming  on  to  Berber  :  the  second 
division  has  the  Sheikh  of  the  Hawaweer,  and  is  coming  by 
way  of  Hobaji  :  the  third  division,  with  Sheikh  Saleh,  son  of 
Salim,  Sheikh  of  the  Kababeesh,  is  coming  to  Metemma. 
Each  one  of  these  divisions  is  alone  sufficient  to  oppose  all  the 
rebels.  They  will  soon  be  in  Kartoum.  We  phall  increase  in 
defence  of  the  Soudan  until  the  arrival  of  the  troops  here,  as 
is  the  will  of  the  Khedive's  trade  issued  to  us  on  the  14th 
September,  1884.  The  Ulema  and  teachers  of  Kartoum  had 
presented  a  telegrana  to  the  Khedive  asking  for  reinforcements 
—  now  an  irade  of  the  Khedive  has  been  issued  to  them,  a  copy 
of  which  is  given  here  above.  Be  therefore  fully  reassured  as 
to  yourselves  and  your  families,  and  all  your  possessions  in 
your  houses,  taking  no  heed  of  what  has  occurred  in  the  past. 
If  God  will  in  the  next  few  days  the  siege  will  be  raised,  and  your 
alarm  will  pass  away.  Know  also  that  if  Mohammed  Achmet 
should  call  upon  me  for  three  years  to  surrender  Kartoum  I 
will  not  listen  to  him,  but  will  protect  your  lives  and  families 
and  possessions  with  all  energy  and  stedfastness. 

(Signed)  GORDON  Pasha. 


APPENDIX  AB. 

Translation  of  a   letter   addressefl    to  General  Gordon  bj'  the  Kalifa 
Abdulla  Mahommed,  10.  12.  85. 

In  the  name  of  God  the  Merciful,  the  Compassionate. 
Praise  be  to  the  Bountiful  God,  and  blessings  be  upon  our 
Lord  Mahomed  and  xipon  his  family. 

We,  the  servant  of  God  Abdallah  Mohammed  Jifarah, 
one  of  the  governors  of  the  Mahdi,  on  whom  be  peace,  on  the 
East,  to  Gordon,  the  Pasha  of  Ivartoum.     You  have  paid  no 


476  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

attention  to  the  counsel  and  reasoning  repeatedly  sent  to  you, 
but  have  increased  in  folly  ;  and  the  numerous  kindly  admoni- 
tions have  only  made  you  more  haughty  and  wayward  ;  be- 
cause truth  enlightens  the  breasts  of  believers,  and  only 
increases  the  oppressors  in  their  degenerations.  Your  letter 
has  reached  us,  in  which  you  deceived  the  pojiulation,  saying 
that  the  British  reinforcement  is  coming  to  you  in  three  di- 
visions, and  that  it  will  soon  reach  you  and  give  you  victory  ; 
thus  your  letter  betrays  the  greatness  of  your  fear,  and 
anxiety,  and  alarm,  as  in  your  deceit  you  have  caught  hold  of 
spider-web  ropes  and  have  feared  to  die  at  our  hands  ;  thou 
must  inevitably  die,  O  thou  heathen  !  These  promises,  you 
have  been  holding  them  out  since  last  year  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Kartoum,  and  have  been  promising  them  that  the  English 
will  come  soon.  Your  promise  has  only  increased  their  sor- 
rows ;  and  now  that  you  are  in  straits,  and  that  evil  is  coming 
upon  you,  you  are  practising  deceit  from  the  interior  of  your 
den  {sic)  in  which  God  has  imprisoned  you,  upon  him  who  is  iu 
the  land  of  peace  and  crowned  with  exceeding  much  honour, 
and  who  is  able  to  get  the  news  of  riders  arriving  from  the 
remotest  regions.  I  ask,  do  the  sounds,  winged  and  free,  un- 
fettered, need  news  from  the  like  of  thee  in  the  sea  of  billows 
covered  by  waves  upon  wave,  above  which  are  clouds  of  dark- 
ness piled  one  over  the  other.  Know  thou,  O  thou  enemy  of 
God,  that  the  true  news  is  with  us  and  not  with  you,  and  that  the 
news  which  has  reached  us  contains  nothing  to  cheer  thy  eye 
or  uphold  thy  power  ;  on  the  contrary,  there  is  no  escape  for 
thee  from  death  at  our  hands,  and  from  death  by  lack  of  food. 
But  it  is  no  wonder  that  you  deny  the  Mahdiship,  for  you  did 
not  believe  in  the  Apostleship  of  Mahomed  ;  but  the  wonder 
is  that  the  learned  men  of  wickedness,  who  are  raised  to 
prominent  positions  by  you,  and  whom  God  has  left  to  go 
astray,  and  whose  hearts  He  has  closed,  whose  ears  He  has 
sealed,  and  over  whose  eyes  He  has  put  a  veil,  since  they  have 
been  satisfied  with  you  as  a  leader,  and  have  taken  you  as  a 
teacher,  and  have  waged  war  against  Believers,  and  seek  vic- 
tory to  those  who  believe  iu  more  than  one  God,  as  though 
they  had  not  heard  the  word  of  God.  "  If  you  wage  war, 
war  will  come  upon  you,  and  if  you  end  war  it  is  better  for 
you,  and  if  you  return  He  will  return,  and  God  is  with  the 
Believers."  Do  you  not  know,  O  you  wicked  learned  men, 
that  he  who  secedes  from  the  Commonwealth  has  slipped 
away  from  the  Faith,  just  as  a  hair  is  drawn  out  from  the  lump 
of  dough  ?  If  you,  by  reason  of  your  love  of  office  and  by 
reason  of  your  association  with  darkness,  are  in  doubt  as  to 
this  Imkn,  are  you  also  in  doubt  as  to  the  Apostleship  of  Ma- 
hommed,  on  whom  be  peace  and  blessings,  that  you  followed 
his  enemies  the  evil  unbelievers,  and  have  made  your  rulers  in 


APPENDICES.  477 

preference  to  the  sons  of  Islam,  and  desire  them  to  be  victori- 
ous ?  Have  you  not  heard  the  word  of  God  which  says,  "O 
ye  who  have  believed,  take  not  my  enemy  and  your  enemy  to 
be  rixlers,  nor  bestow  on  them  your  affection,  and  I  know 
what  you  have  hidden  and  what  you  have  made  known  ;  and 
he  among  you  who  does  this  has  strayed  away  to  the  wrong 
path."  God  also  says,  "  O  ye  who  have  believed,  do  not  take 
your  fathers  and  your  brothers  to  be  your  chiefs,  if  they  prefer 
unbelief  to  faith."  God  also  says,  "  You  will  not  find  a  people 
who  believes  in  God  and  in  the  Last  Day  that  will  befriend 
those  who  stray  from  God  and  the  Prophet,  even  though  they 
be  their  fathers,  brothers,  or  relations."  But  you,  you  have 
taken  the  Christians  to  be  your  rulers,  when  you  have  no  doubt 
as  to  their  heathenism.  Look  therefore  to  yourselves  after 
these  quotations  ;  do  you  consider  it  to  be  counted  of  the 
company  of  Believers  ?  {sic.)  It  is  strange  how  you  frighten 
the  people,  saying  the  English  are  coming,  and  how  you  think 
that  the  Allies  will  be  affected  by  your  false  rumours.  No, 
by  God  !  even  though  swarms  of  English  and  others  should 
come,  this  would  only  increase  the  faith  of  the  Allies,  and 
their  steadfastness  would  grow  in  the  labour  of  the  siege  until 
God  shall  make  you  taste  confusion  and  destruction.  Take 
warning  by  those  who  are  like  you,  if  you  are  children  of  in- 
telligence. Before  you  the  people  of  Obeid  were  longing  for 
reinforcements  like  the  longing  of  the  thirsty  for  water  ;  and 
they  too  were  Avriting  deceitful  and  cheering  letters,  more 
than  you  have  done  ;  and,  nevertheless,  you  have  heard  what 
befell  them. 

If  you  are  content  to  remain  as  you  are,  then  prepare  for 
what  shall  come  :  but  if  you  knock  at  the  door  of  repentance, 
peradventure  it  may  be  opened  unto  you. 

Peace  be  upon  those  who  follow  after  the  right  way. 

(Signed)         Abdullah  Mahommed. 

19  S.  1302. 

7th  or  8th  December,  1884. 


APPENDIX  CD. 

Telegraphic  Petition  from  the  Ulenia  and  officials  of  Kaktoum  to  the 
Khedive. 

We  make  bold  to  present  our  humble  thanks  to  our  Sov- 
ereign the  Khedive.  The  enemy  drew  near  to  Kartoum  and 
besieged  it,  and  our  lives  were  in  our  throats,  and  we  had  no 
more  patience,  and  words  cannot  describe  our  miserable  condi- 
tion. Then  the  Governor-Generalship  was  conferred  upon 
H.  E.  Gordon   Pasha,  and  on  his  arrival  he  bestowed  all  kinds 


478  GENERAL   GORDON'S  JOURNALS. 

of  favours,  and  conceded  all  that  had  been  demanded,  and 
took  all  precautions,  and  brought  order  out  of  chaos.  And 
although  Kartoum  was  attacked  on  all  four  sides  by  musketry 
and  cannon,  the  Governor-General  watched  day  and  night  ; 
and  when  the  Nile  rose  he  sent  out  the  victorious  soldiers  who 
were  victorious  over  the  enemy,  and  we  hope  the  victory  will 
be  soon  complete.  Kartoum  is  fortified  like  an  impregnable 
rock. 

We  pray  God  to  give  long  life  to  H.  H.  the  Khedive,  and  to 
remove  our  present  disturbances. 

Copy  of  the  Khedive's  Trade  pent  in  cypher  to  all  the  Ulemas  and 
Teachers,  and  to  the  Cadi  and  all  mililaiy  officers  and  civil  officials  in 
Kaktoum,  dated  September  21st,  1884. 

Your  telegram,  dated  27th  Shamal,  1301,  (19th  Augtist, 
1884),  was  received  on  the  first  day  of  Dhee-1-Hijjah,  1301, 
(September  20th,  1884).  We  regret  the  condition  you  are  iu 
by  reason  of  the  impossibility  of  sending  you  reinforcements 
and  help  up  till  now,  on  account  of  circumstances.  But  we  are 
very  glad  because  you  are  still  safe,  and  the  city  is  kept  by 
your  energ}^  and  bravery.  If  God  will,  reinforcements  will 
soon  reach  you,  and  you  shall  be  tewarded.  We  hope  you  will 
exercise  all  diligence  in  upholding  the  honour  of  Government. 
The  difficulties  are  being  overcome  and  the  time  of  relief  is  at 
hand  by  the  Grace  of  God. 

APPENDIX   EF. 
Organisation  of  the  Soudan. 

1.  His  Excellency,  El  Zubair  Pasha,  shall  be  the  Governor 
(or  Ruler)  of  the  Soudan  ;  he  shall  have  the  rank  of  Fareek 
and  the  Osmaniah  decoration.  His  pay  shall  be  £6,000  per 
annum,  i.  e.  £500  per  month. 

2.  He  shall  be  free  to  appoint  and  discharge  the  Mudirs  and 
Wakeels,  and  all  other  officials  and  employes  of  his  own  mo- 
tion, and  make  regulations  for  the  em2)loyes  necessary  for 
the  administrative  and  military  work  in  every  region  in  each* 
mudirieh  and  in  the  central  town,  and  for  the  finances  and 
arsenal,  etc. ;  and  also  regulations  fixing  the  taxes  and  all  the 
revenues  and  expenses  needed  yearly. 

3.  He  is  permitted  to  give  military  and  civil  grades  up  to 
the  grade  of  Mir-Alai,  and  shall  refer  to  the  Khedive's  cabinet 
in  Cairo  asking  for  the  brevets  (or  commissions),  but  above 
that  grade  he  must  refer  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt. 

4.  The  boundaries  of  the  Soudan  on  the  north  shall  be  at 
Handak,  one  of  the  Dongola  regions,  and  the  Soudan  regions 
shall  be  by  Mudirieh  as  follows  :  Dongola  ;  whose  boundary 


APPENDICES.  479 

shall  bs  Handak  as  aforepaid  :  and  Berber  and  Kartoimi  ;  the 
extreme  boundary  of  which  sh.all  be  Donaim  and  Sennaar  up 
to  Faiz-Aghlon,  Godaree^D,  Gallabat,  Ka^^sala  and  Suakin.  As 
for  Massowa  and  Senheit,  they  shall  not  belong  to  the  Soudan 
Government.  The  regions  of  Fashoda,  the  Equator  and  Bahr- 
Gazelle,  shall  be  left  (or  abandoned)  and  the  employes  with- 
drawn from  them. 

5.  The  Egyptian  Government  now  pays  towards  the  Soudan 
expenses,  £250,000  ;  it  shall  further  send  a  like  sum  for  ty/o 
more  years. 

6.  The  customs  duties  taken  upon  goods  coming  up  and  go- 
ing down  by  way  of  Suakin  shall  be  the  same  as  before,  and 
shall  enter  into  the  Soudan  revenues.  Also,  goods  coming  to 
Suakin  while  passing  Suez  shall  be  paid  at  Suakin  ;  but  goods 
going  from  or  coming  to  the  Soudan  by  Handak,  the  boundary 
of  the  Soudan,  shall  pay  no  duty  and  shall  remain  as  formerly. 

7.  All  warlike  stores  and  all  ammunition  and  arsenal  stores, 
and  baggage  of  soldiers  that  shall  be  needed,  shall  be  asked 
for  from  the  Egyptian  Government,  and  shall  be  sent  to  the 
Soudan.  The  value  of  the  same  shall  not  be  included  in  the 
sum  of  money  fixed  to  be  supplied  by  Egypt  to  the  Soudan. 

8.  The  military  stores  and  soldiers'  baggage,  and  apparatus 
for  boats  and  steamers  now  in  the  Soudan,  shall  remain  in  it. 

9.  The  boats  and  steamers  which  are  in  the  Soudan  and 
which  are  brought  up  with  the  English  shall  be  left  for  the 
use  of  the  Soudan. 

10.  Stations  for  steamers  must  be  erected  from  Handak  to 
Kartoum  ;  each  station  shall  have  a  fort  and  earthworks  and 
that  which  is  necessary  for  transport  ;  but  the  stations  from 
Handak  northwards  shall  belong  to  the  Egyptian  Government. 

11.  The  British  troojas  must  help  in  carrying  on  the  war 
until  the  central  town  is  passed  and  the  siege  raised  from  Kar- 
toum and  Sennaar  ;  after  which,  under  direction  of  the  Ruler  of 
the  Soudan,  that  shall  be  done  which  will  quell  the  disturbance. 

12.  His  Excellency  El  Zubaii'  Pasha  shall  undertake  to  cap- 
ture Mohammed  Achmed,  the  would-be  Mahdi,  and  bring  the 
captives  that  are  with  him,  both  Euroi^eans  and  others,  for  the 
execution  of  which  His  said  Excellency  shall  receive  £30,000. 

13.  Trade  in  slaves  shall  be  stopped,  and  the  lines  to  be  fol- 
lowed herein  shall  be  the  Convention  of  4877  between  Eng- 
land and  Egypt. 

14.  The  monopoly  and  contract  of  roads  in  the  Soudan  and 
the  Atmoor  (desert)  shall  be  wholly  denied  to  Hussein-Khalifa, 
his  family  and  relations. 

15.  The  Soudan  Government  must  pay  the  losses  sustained 
by  the  family  of  Seyd  Mahomet  Osman  during  the  disturb- 


d 


# 


^^JD 


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*^*  For  sale  by  all  Booksellers.     Sent,  post-paid,  on  receipt  0/ price 
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Boston,  Mass. 


ftps   ^      '"jp 
DATE  DUE 


— 

PRINTED    IN    U    S    A               1 

DT108.3    G67    1885b 

Gordon,    Charles   George,    1 8 JJ 

,    -1885. 

Ilhe    journals    ©f    Major-Gen. 
C.    G.    Gordon,    C.    B. ,    at 


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